Commander Wednesday Shepard (nee Addams) Part 3: In The Balance
by Sun-Tsu Toriden
Summary: In AD2186, War was Beginning. Wednesday Shepard returns one last time to be the hero the galaxy needs and deserves, but not necessarily wants. By the time she's done, either the galaxy will kill the Reapers, the Reapers will kill the galaxy, or she will kill everything. Besides, it's not fun if there isn't blood everywhere! Rated M for sex, violence, language and Addams!
1. Invasion Day

Wednesday Shepard (nee Addams) took a deep breath of air on Earth for the first time in nearly ten years. The closest she had been to the birthplace of humanity since finishing her N7 training had been that one mission to Luna just after becoming a Spectre. Now, she was here at the special request of Fleet Admiral Steven Hackett to help him with something related to the Alliance Special Defence Committee. Not that she needed to be here in person, but even Hackett knew there was such a thing as the _Addams_ _Presence_. He was, in fact, counting on it working in his favour today.

Some welcome and familiar faces were there to meet her at the dock in Vancouver, as well as a few unfamiliar or unwelcome ones. Front and centre was Hackett himself, his dress blues sharp enough to shave with. Next to him, and looking much happier and more comfortable than when she had seen him in formal Council robes, was Admiral David Anderson.

Next to the dark-skinned Londoner were the familiar (and ever-so-entertaining) forms of Kaidan Alenko and Ashley Williams, the former sporting Major markings on his shoulder, the latter with Lieutenant-Commander on hers. Also next to Anderson was an armoured human who only missed being classed as a krogan by dint of genetics, with LT bars and a nametag proclaiming him to be Vega. Next to Hackett was a collection of other haughty-looking officers, MPs by their uniforms, none of whom seemed pleased to see her.

Coming out of the _Normandy-A_ Wednesday only had herself, since Joker was still piloting, Chakwas wanted to stay in the armoury and the engineers elected not to leave. Sam and Anacrusis were working on something truly fascinated to them, and since EDI still practically ran the ship herself, they were the only ones currently on board.  
"Well hello there," Wednesday said, in what could have been a friendly tone from other people. Ones that didn't have a distinctly predatory grin as her gaze swept over her former crewmates.  
"Shepard, good of you to come," Hackett said stiffly. On a closer look at his face, Wednesday could see the minute tic as his eyes moved slightly to the accompanying officers with him. David had fewer restraints, moving forward and giving his favourite student a hearty handshake.

"Wednesday, good to see you again," he said warmly.  
"David, a pleasure. Can I assume the welcoming party is here for something official?" Wednesday asked.  
"Yes, about that," David said quietly, before he was interrupted as an MP with colonel markings stepped forward from Hackett's side.  
"Wednesday Shepard, you are hereby under arrest under the orders of Admiral Kyra Singh," the colonel began.  
"Belay that," Hackett said quickly, but obviously not quickly enough for Wednesday.  
"Objection!" she yelled, and it was said with such force that even the bureaucratic force behind the officer was halted.  
"You are being arrested for crimes against the Uniform Code," he tried again, only to peter off into silence as Wednesday glared at him.  
"This Admiral Singh obviously wants you to die, Colonel, since she told you to arrest an active Spectre," Wednesday said in icy tones. "Otherwise, you must be suicidal to think I'd allow you to even so much as look at me with shackles in hand."

"I'd suggest you take your orders back to Singh and remind the good Admiral that when _I_ give an order, it is to be followed," Hackett said in a threatening growl. The Colonel looked between Wednesday's glare, not noticing the hand already gripping the sword hilt at her side, and his ultimate superior, wearing a look that just _screamed_ impending demotion, and decided that discretion was the better part of him today. He left with not so much a walk as a waddle, the rest of the MPs falling in behind him. Wednesday smirked as they left, though Hackett's face didn't get any less angry.  
"Am I going to get any more of that today?" Wednesday asked.  
"Not as long as I have anything to say about it," David said, coming to her defence.  
"Nor I," Hackett added. "However, to reduce the likelihood of you killing any Alliance personnel in the next few hours, might we move this to our meeting room?"  
"By all means, lead the way," Wednesday replied, gesturing the men to go first. Hackett took the lead, with Wednesday falling in beside David as they walked, the junior officers following Anderson keeping a few paces away from Wednesday.

As they walked, Wednesday's smirk didn't lessen as she heard the bad whisper from behind her.  
"You know Commander Shepard?" the tank labelled Vega asked Ash and Kaidan in a slightly Hispanic accent, for all that meant with near universal translators.  
"Trust me Vega, you don't forget someone like her," Williams replied, and you could hear the shudder in her voice.  
"I'm pretty sure she isn't a Commander though," Kaidan added, a little more spine in his tone. Wednesday said nothing, just felt warm inside at the fear she could still engender in her wake. It was nice to be remembered.

"So, I hear you've got a shiny new ship, David," Wednesday said for conversation as they passed through various corridors and along waterfront.  
"She's beautiful Shepard, and I have you to thank for it," he answered gratefully. "Between you letting me out of that damn Council job and giving Steven the blueprints for the upgraded _Normandy_-class stealth ship, I'm finally in command again. Let me tell you, it's been far too long."  
"So, what's her name?" Wednesday asked.  
"The _Waterloo_," Anderson replied, voice tinged slightly with awe.  
"Ah, a bit of nostalgia, don't blame you," Wednesday said with a knowing smile. "Have any French officers?"  
"No, strangely enough," David said with a similar smile.

"If you two are quite done, this is unfortunately where I leave you," Steven said as they came to an intersection. "I've just gotten an urgent message and need to return to the _Diablo_. Anderson, I'm sure you can lead Shepard the rest of the way."  
"Of course," Anderson replied, saluting. Wednesday gave a lazy, borderline sassy one, which Hackett took as a mark of respect from the Addams woman. The family was notorious for not showing anyone respect, deserved or otherwise, unless the family had given it. "Alenko, take Williams and rendezvous back at the _Waterloo_. Vega, you're with us, just up here," David said, taking the lead now. As they went, Wednesday heard a tone from her omni-tool and looked at it. She saw a message from Garrus, with another from Tali popping up just as she looked, and knew what they meant. She would deal with them later.

As they came to the room being used by the Committee, Wednesday was greeted by some of the ranking Admirals of the Alliance Navy.

"Shepard, thank you for joining us," the person in the central chair said. "We asked you here because you have a unique perspective on the Reaper threat. We wanted you here to give your assessment on our options before any such conflict escalates."

Wednesday stared at them all for long, silent moments, before she burst out laughing. The laughter was creepy, even to Anderson, who'd known Wednesday the longest. It seemed to bypass normal sonics, creeping directly into the brain and pressing a button the ancient hindbrain humans didn't use anymore labelled 'primal terror'. It was the sound a tiger would make if it could laugh at a sheep asking not to be eaten today.

"Admiral, the Reapers don't _care_ about you enough to give you options," she said cheerfully as her laughter died down enough to talk. "They will simply ignore any term you try and give them and grind you underfoot. You are dealing with an enemy whose only goal is genocide on a _galactic_ scale. Your only options are fight or die. And unless the frantic whispering from your techs behind me is another laughable attempt at my incarceration, then my guess is that you have simply run out of time to make that choice."

Wednesday turned to leave, her omni-tool already activated on her wrist. She spared a look at Anderson, communicating to him that now was the time to retreat, before an angry shout came from the chair again.  
"Shepard, you can't just talk to us like that!" he began, before one of the technicians in the room said something that stopped him cold.  
"Sir, we've lost contact with Luna base."  
"What?" he asked.  
"So soon?" David whispered, to himself more than anyone else. Wednesday was already moving though, David pulling Vega behind him to follow, when an enormous wave of sound crashed around them.

The sound was something like a cross between a tuba and an earthquake, and even Wednesday was not immune to its dread-inspiring call. She turned to face it as a giant purple thing descended from the overcast sky into downtown Vancouver. There was no mistaking the shape as anything other than a Reaper, nor the lethal potential of the red beams that shone with beautiful and terrible power. Wednesday barely had time to shout a warning before the beam sliced their way, shattering the window, vaporising the committee entirely, and sending the heavy desk hurtling in her direction.

* * *

All across the galaxy, the Reapers had arrived. In the skies above Earth, Admiral Hackett realised that there was no way to maintain any kind of space presence around humanity's homeworld - not if they wanted to maintain any kind of fleet. He would push to hold for one hour, so some people would have the opportunity to escape Sol, but after that he would reluctantly call the retreat.

He was also in contact with Arcturus and monitoring the battle data there through the QEC technology that Esmerelda Frump had released and he had pushed heavily for. By his own estimates, more than half of humanity's ready ships had the technology installed, and another quarter would finish installation very quickly now that the enemy had finally revealed themselves.

As the Arcturus engagement grew more desperate, Hackett was about to call for the Second Fleet to cover the escape of the Third and Fifth when an unusual override signal came over all the comm channels being used in that theatre.  
"All ships retreat from Arcturus. I will cover you!" The voice itself was like the scream of a banshee, the kind of thing you only ever expected to hear in your nightmares.  
"Admiral Hackett, I can't identify the source, can you confirm order?" asked a senior captain.  
"What the hell was that?" asked another.  
"All hands belay that last… what in the world?" came the voice of the ranking Admiral of the Second Fleet.

"Status, Admiral?" Hackett barked. While he had access to a lot of data, his counterpart was obviously reacting to something only he could see.  
"It's Arcturus Station, Sir," came the weak-voiced reply. "It's… the only word I can use is transforming."  
"Into what, Donner?" Hackett asked exasperatedly.  
"I'm sending it to you now Sir, because I can't even describe it." Shortly after a new datafeed came into Hackett's view, a hologram of Arcturus station itself changing shape.

"No… not even she could… could she?" he whispered to himself as he zoomed out the display to show the transforming station as well as the advancing Reaper forces. He watched with grim fascination as the station moved into position and finally demonstrated what Esmerelda Frump had been doing on the station for the last six months. Hackett could only imagine what it must have looked like as the station itself unleashed a barrage of green fire on the encroaching warships.  
"By the Gods," he heard over the comm. He'd never be able to say who had voiced all of their shock as the beam, almost as thick as a dreadnought itself, sliced right through the largest of the Reapers like Nazara had the Citadel fleet ships only three years before.

"I'm not going to get too many other shots like that, so I suggest you all pull your fingers out of your collective asses and _**RETREAT**_!" came the unearthly screech over the comm again, and Steven knew who it was now. He pushed a button on the private device Frump had given him and was rewarded a few seconds later by seeing her appear in miniature on one of his screens, seated in some kind of control chair even as sparks and other electrical shorts discharged around her.  
"Steven, I'd love to talk, but I'm working on firing solution," she said shortly, but with a massive grin on her face.  
"You do realise that you're not getting out of this, right?"  
"No shit Sherlock," she replied, banging something with a mallet. "I've lived a long time Steven, but this is the first time I've found an enemy worth my time. Now, let me have my last hurrah, and go and be responsible. Gods, but it'll be a relief not to have to deal with everyone non-Addams anymore."

With that the connection cut, and he returned to the collective command of the Second, Third and Fifth Fleets.  
"Well, you heard the lady, retreat with all speed! Rendezvous at the following coordinates," he ordered them, his voice never rising to a shout, but the firmness of his tone brooked no argument. "I'll hold Earth for as long as I can before I regroup and rejoin you. This is the first battle ladies and gentlemen, we need to prepare to fight a war."  
"Aye Sir," came a chorus of replies, and Hackett turned his attention back to the defence of the Sol system for the moment.

* * *

Tali had thankfully been on duty when the attack came. At first it had just been manoeuvres in the Tikkun system, practicing positioning and fleet tactics for the battles to come. For this particular exercise the quarian Patrol Fleet and elements of the geth scout flotilla had deployed in the vanguard, followed by the Heavy Fleet reinforced by more elements of the geth forces constituting the first wave. The rear-guard of the formation was made of the newly refitted and rechristened Volunteer Militia fleet supporting the heaviest portions of the geth forces, including their flagship the _001_. Then, at some unidentified signal, the Heavy fleet and a good number of geth vessels turned on the remaining quarian and geth fleets.

The initial moments of confusion had been horrible, before she had rallied with Shala'Raan, Zaal'Koris and the geth through Legion in organising the fleets into appropriate battle configuration. Fortunately, there was plenty of space for the fleets to effectively separate along the battlelines. Unfortunately, by the time order was established the renegade (and likely indoctrinated) quarians and geth had effectively separated the bulk of the combined fleet from the Relay. They were trapped, unless they wanted to decimate their own forces trying to escape. As soon as they were out of range, the turncoats effectively let them be, as if they were waiting for something.

Tali cursed and moved activate her QEC, but was interrupted by an incoming signal.

* * *

"You still want to be part of this?" Garrus shouted to his sister, who was standing next to him and glowing head to toe purple with her biotics. The last six months had been eye-opening for the older brother as he got a close-up hands-on experience of her newfound skills, and even he had to admit they were impressive. Maybe not quite on the same level as Wednesday or Pubert, but he knew it was unfair to compare her to the Addams. Still though, she seemed to be almost enjoying herself as the twosome fought their way through hordes of the zombie-like reaper forces on the surface of Menae.  
"Are you kidding?" she asked incredulously. "The only way that I'm going to even have a chance with that delicious quarian is if I stick with you. Because let's face it Scarface, we both know you're going to be joining up with Wednesday at some point, and so will Tali."

"You may have a point," he conceded as he mowed down another husk. He looked up at the wrong moment as he heard a shuttle leaving, only to see it shot down.  
"Crap, there goes Fedorian," Solana muttered as she threw another one with her biotics.  
"Probably dad too, considering how close those two were these days," Garrus grunted.  
"So, think you've got a shot at the top job now?" Sol asked, almost teasingly.  
"Don't even joke like that Sol," Garrus shouted back. "There's a reason the Addams go high, but not the top job. Once you reach that point, it's all paperwork and no fun!"  
"Well then, here's hoping that there's still a few people up the line of succession before you then, eh?" Solana grunted.

Before Garrus could respond, there was an incoming signal on his QEC, which he brought up as he found some cover.

* * *

Wednesday groggily came back to consciousness as she heard someone shouting her name, as well as moving whatever hand landed on top of her.  
"Wednesday, you still with us?" David asked as the woman in question moaned.  
"It'll take more than a desk to take me out," Wednesday groaned. "Not even the first time either," she complained as she got to her feet with an assist from Mt Vega, remembering the encounter with the previous Shadow Broker.  
"Well, on the bright side, we won't have to deal with the Committee anymore," Vega said with dark humour, looking around with a grimace at the devastation in the room. Not everyone was dead, but it was a hellish scene, enough to put a smirk back on Wednesday's face.  
"We got a message while you were out," Anderson said. "Hackett's covering the escape for now, but the First Fleet can't hold out for long. I'm guessing an hour or so, then he'll leave and we'll be on our own."

"Not surprising. Let's head to the _Normandy_ so we can get off planet," Wednesday suggested.  
"I'm with you there," Anderson said. "Closer than the _Waterloo_ in any case. Speaking of which," he said as they started to make their way down towards the spaceport. "Alenko, Williams, report!" he barked into his omni-tool.  
"We've reached the spaceport sir, and the _Waterloo_ is preparing for liftoff," came Alenko's reply, though it was cut with static and interference.  
"Get her in the sky and I'll send rendezvous coordinates," he said, cutting the connection as the trio came upon a blocked corridor. Wednesday and Vega moved around until they found an alternate path around the outside of the building. The three of them edged their way carefully across the narrow ledge before another Reaper descended, firing at a cruiser attempting to take off.

The human ship managed to get off a few shots, even damaging the giant opposing ship, before the red magneto-hydrodynamic lance of the ancient machine bisected the cruiser. There was a moment of silence as all energy in the surrounding area was sucked towards the ship, before it was released in an eye-searing explosion of light.  
"Grab on to me!" Wednesday shouted, barely finished before the shockwave sent them tumbling down the building. Using her biotics, she managed to lighten their combined mass just before impact, making it marginally sub-lethal instead of splattering them against the concrete.  
"You okay Wednesday?" Anderson said, hauling the tired woman to her feet.  
"I've definitely felt better," she replied, taking out an emergency energy shot and downing the sugary drink in a single gulp. She'd pay for it later, but she was more concerned about having a later to worry about.

The three of them, with Vega handing her a spare pistol as they came across the first wave of husks, made their way carefully to the waterfront. It became obvious very quickly that getting all the way to the _Normandy-A_ was going to be next to impossible, given the sheer amount of opposition they were facing, but she had another idea. After helping a group of soldiers get back in action after a support tower had trapped them, Wednesday spied a downed gunship. She pulled up her omni-tool and opened a channel to EDI.  
"EDI, we need a pickup, can you pinpoint our location?" she asked.  
"There is too much chatter to be certain of your position, Shepard," EDI replied apologetically.  
"I thought that might be the case, given how much we're facing on the ground here. I've found a downed gunship, I'll activate the emergency beacon and synch the frequency."  
"That should be sufficient," EDI confirmed. Wednesday lead David and Vega to the broken Mantis, pulling out the black box and activating it, before sending the data to EDI.

They didn't have long to wait, unfortunately the first thing to find them was wave upon wave of Reaper reinforcements. At the beginning it was just more of the human cyber-necrotic zombies, but eventually something else came at them. At first glance it was batarian shaped, or at least it had four eyes and a horrible maw filled with pointy teeth. However, instead of two arms, the right one had been replaced with some sort of techno-organic weapon, which fired at them and was surprisingly effective against their shields and barriers. It wasn't until there was a lull in the combat that Wednesday got a closer look at one of them, and saw that the arm had a second, human face joined at the shoulder.  
"I guess we know what happened to most of the batarians," David muttered with disgust.

As they prepared for more incoming, there came a roar of engines and a wash of water as the _Normandy-A_ finally caught up to them.  
"Sorry if we're later Shepard," Joker said over the short-range comms, "We had to outrun a Reaper coming at the spaceport. We also picked up a friend." As he said this, a sister of the _Normandy _flew past, the ship's hull gleaming silver and blue. The lettering on the hull proudly declaimed her as the _Waterloo_, David's new ship. The two frigates floated down and the ramps descended, allowing David and Wednesday one last handshake. Before he let go of Wednesday's hand, he looked over to Vega.  
"Vega, I've got a new assignment for you. Effective immediately, you are joining Shepard's crew."

"What!?" he asked.  
"Shepard needs an Alliance representative on her crew," David said with authority. "Alenko and Williams have made it clear they will commit suicide rather than set foot on the _Normandy_ while Shepard is still among the living, so you drew the short straw Lieutenant. We can organise your personal effects soon, right now just get on the ship and deal."  
"Yes Sir," Vega said with a grumble.  
"He's a good soldier Wednesday, but please try not to traumatise this one like you did the other two. There are only so many people I can give you."  
"Appreciated, David. Now, while don't we get while the getting's good?"  
"True enough," he said, the two of them jumping to their ships, Vega following Wednesday to the _Normandy-A_.

Wednesday watched through the closing ramp as the _Normandy-A_ ascended, watched as people tried to get to shuttles to escape, only for the shuttle to be shot down by a miniature Reaper destroyer as they lifted off. She made her way up to the elevator, Vega following hotly at her heels, only to come up short when Anacrusis, the young rachni queen, met them at the elevator.  
"Get back Shepard!" he roared, pulling out the first weapon to hand.  
"Stand down Vega!" Shepard shouted, shoving his weapon away.  
"_Hello_?" Ana asked in her part aural, part telepathic way, much more nervous now after Vega's outburst.  
"What the hell is that!?" Vega shouted.  
"Her name is Anacrusis, and all you need to remember Lieutenant is that she is on the same side as you," Wednesday said coolly.

"EDI, can we get a line to the _Waterloo_ down here?" Wednesday asked to the ceiling. Vega wondered who she was talking to, before a hologram of an attractive woman appeared near a terminal.  
"Yes Shepard, connecting you now," the AI replied. A few seconds later David appeared on her screen.  
"Shepard, I know what you're thinking," he said with a heavy voice.  
"Then you should know that you'll do much more good with the fleet, leading the fight with the rest of the galaxy, then stuck on Earth."  
"They need a leader Wednesday," he said seriously.  
"And they have one. My father is still on Earth, he'll lead the resistance, whether it wants to be lead or not."  
"You've thought of everything it seems," David said with a crestfallen sigh. "Alright, I'll rendezvous with you later to finalise Vega's transfer."  
"Not everything David, but hopefully enough," Wednesday replied. Before she could cut the connection, an incoming signal on her omni-tool flared to life.

"Incoming priority override signal," the QEC announced cheerfully. A second alter, an image of Esmerelda Frump, frustrated and bleeding and looking happier than she ever had, resolved itself above her wrist in full view of everyone in the hangar bay.  
"Well, this is it everyone. It's been a fun life, but everything has to end," the woman shrieked as something rocked her almost out of the seat she was in, sparks cascading over her in a blinding torrent. "I'm just glad I got to see you all grow up into the horrible people you've become, even you Garrus. Now, my score is five Reapers," she said, before she shook again. "Make that six. Sadly, that's probably all I'm going to get. So make me proud, all of you, and gladly feast on these bastards!"

With that there was a brief impression of an explosion, before the connection went dead. Wednesday let a single tear fall down her cheek, even as she smiled, as one of the buttons on her QEC went dark permanently.  
"A good life and a good death," David said solemnly. "Let's live up to her example then. I've just received the order, the First Fleet is retreating before we lose control of the system entirely."  
"I'll see you later David," Wednesday said, closing the connection to the _Waterloo_. She was about to leave to the CIC when another signal was routed to the same terminal by EDI.  
"Shepard, I have an incoming signal from Admiral Hackett," the AI announced.

Shepard accepted the call at the terminal, Steven's scarred face coming to life in front of her. The signal was choppy and latent, full of static. Wednesday was getting only about one in three words.  
"EDI, can you clean this up?"  
"I will attempt to do so," the AI replied. Almost instantly, the connection was almost normal, with just the odd jump or missed word.  
"Shepard, before you leave Sol, I need you to pick up Doctor T'Soni from Mars. I don't need to tell you that she was working on something vital to all our survival. I can't spare you any resources at the moment, not without alerting the Reapers that something valuable is down there. But I suspect that you were planning on a stop there anyway," he said with a knowing look.  
"You have that right Sir," Wednesday said with a grin.  
"Good, then there's only one thing left for me to do. Shepard, as of right now I'm authorising you under Article 04-01 of the Emergency Powers code."

Wednesday's eyes went wide with excitement and she gripped the terminal with a white-knuckle grip.  
"Don't tease me, Steven," she said in a soft whisper.  
"I'm not teasing Shepard. We need every ship and captain we can get right now, and since it was impossible to reinstate your commission, I'm doing the next best thing."  
"Really?" Wednesday almost squeaked.  
"Uh, mind explaining what's got Shepard acting like a little girl, Sir?" Vega asked, thoroughly confused.  
"I'm activating an old emergency measure we kept on the books. The official paperwork will come through later once we have time to lick our wounds, but Wednesday Shepard is essentially now given license as a privateer for the Alliance, allowing her recognition of rank and privilege as long as she fights the Reapers, until they are dead or otherwise neutralised as a threat."  
"I'm a PIRATE!" Wednesday squealed, so happy that she couldn't contain herself, running up to Anacrusis and wrapping the young rachni in an enthusiastic hug.

In a rare moment of inter-species camaraderie, Vega and Ana shared a look that communicated the confusion both of them were currently feeling. Wednesday finally broke the hug and looked over to EDI's avatar, which was hiding a smile and giggle behind a hand.  
"Joker, set a course for the Mars Archive. Vega, get ready for boots on the ground. EDI, run up the Jolly Roger!" She ran to storage locker next to the elevator, opening it to find her newly-repainted armour. Instead of the mismatching colours of the previously assembled pieces, they were all now a uniform matte black, with the distinctive red and white stripe that marked her as an N7 operative spilling from her right shoulder to her fingers. As she donned her armour, EDI's avatar worked on something, eventually turning to the partially-armoured commander to show off her handiwork.

Above her holographic palm hovered a model of the _Normandy-A_, a hologram of a waving flag being projected between the fins at the rear of the ship. Wednesday looked at it, the Addams Crest taking up the central space where you would usually find a skull. Instead of the crossbones, one was a detailed rendering of her own sword _Vengeance_, forged from the bones of the first _Normandy_, and the other was a dead Reaper, likely modelled after Nazara, the sword stabbing through the upside-down machine like a pinned cockroach. Knowing EDI, Wednesday suspected that the changes had been made in real-time to the exterior of her beautiful ship as well.  
"Beautiful, EDI," Wednesday said in delight as she finished with the chestpiece. She quickly finished donning the rest of it, before moving towards the weapons rack. She pulled out her chosen weapons and checked them, only to find Vega staring at her.  
"If you're ready, Mr Vega, then shall we get ready for our insertion?" Vega just followed her after quickly checking his armour, following her into the shuttle as she prepared to take them to out.

* * *

**A/N: In the timeless words of Theodore Roosevelt: WHAT'S UP BITCHEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!**

**I tried, tried so very hard, to post this on April 1st, the two year anniversary of my posting the first chapter of Wednesday's saga. But then life happened. So Happy Birthday Wednesday!  
**

**Now we have come to it at last, the final tale! Who will win, who will lose? (... and who was born to sing the blues?)**

**Honestly, that's just as much a mystery to me at this point. I've got a few things ready and lined up, but there's a lot of story between the beginning and the end, and sometimes things just leap from fingers to page without the courtesy of checking in with Mr Brain. Still, I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything, and I hope you'll all join me for one last spin around the galaxy with Wednesday (who knows, it might be the galaxy's last spin!)**

**As always, indeed as with most authors here, I survive on tea, the occasional biscuit, and the endorphins of reading a good review, so help sustain poor starving artists like myself and leave a review!**

**See you next time!**


	2. the Land of Opportunity (and Curiosity)

"Finally," Liara sighed as the last of the data compiled. It had taken six months of painstaking searching through ridiculously complicated data troves to complete - finding little pieces of data that had been scattered throughout the whole archive, allocating it to the whole construct in its correct place, and then splicing it back into a coherent singular. It hadn't helped that Dr Eva Core had been unusually nosy at times. Even with her Addams-trained sense of personal space, she had more than once caught the human doctor looking over her shoulder without the asari having detected her approach. All that was about to end though. All she had to do now was finish the compilation of the data remotely, and then take a trip over to the main archive to make a copy of the complete file.

Liara smiled when her terminal beeped in the pleasant way that indicated success, before she turned it off. Making sure all her belongings were packed, she got into her discreetly armoured outfit. Mars may have been a research centre, but she was still part of the Addams, and they were always prepared. She was thankful that she had a moment later when the entire facility went on lockdown, heavy blast doors sliding home with loud thuds. She knew the Reaper invasion was imminent, but was it possible they were already here?  
"Damn it," Liara grunted, before she ran towards the tram station. She had the plans complete now, so _close_; she just needed to get the file from the main archive, no matter the cost. If that meant blowing her cover and killing a few Alliance troops to do so, then so be it.

The asari came up to a security door and knelt next to the panel, slicing the locking mechanism as fast as her automated process could bypass. Unfortunately for her, the door was opened from the other side and she found herself staring down the barrel of a light SMG. Unfortunately for her armed opponent, he hadn't banked on the asari being more combat-ready than the rest of the scientists, nor as surprised as the Alliance personnel he had encountered. Liara quickly rolled to the side, her action and natural biotics saving her from injury as he fired. She quickly drew a sidearm and shot him in return, the first two in the chest to take him down, then another two in the helmet to take him out.

As she got back to her feet, Liara noticed the details of her attacker that she had missed in the initial fight reflex. He was wearing black and white armour, with the distinctive nested black and orange hexagon of Cerberus on the chestpiece. She sniffed in disdain at the cheap, mass produced and low-quality look of the material. Her weapon was, of course, modified to be only just shy of illegal, so even the toughest armour would have trouble protecting against its rounds, but this shoddy armour would only stop the most rudimentary weapons fire. Though if she was correct (and given the amount of work she had been doing, she usually was), then the Illusive Man had succeeded in recruiting massive numbers for his army. Quantity had a quality all of its own that couldn't be discounted.

Liara didn't particularly relish the thought of what she was about to do, but she needed information if she was to neutralise Cerberus before they became a major threat. She gingerly removed the ruined helmet, sighing at the mangled face inside it. Even from here she could make out the unmistakable blue-grey of Reaper tech implanted in the poor bastard. She scanned him thoroughly as she could with the limited diagnostics she had available on her omni-tool, before the sound of boots resounding down the corridor made her choose the better part of staying alive, which was not to present a target. She quickly moved to an adjacent room off the corridor, pulling the body with her. She closed the door and waited, and was not disappointed when the footsteps came closer, and someone began talking aloud about their missing compatriot.

"Sir, we've found blood, possibly Jorkun's," one said, his voice sounding slightly… metallic, if Liara had to pick an adjective.  
"Look around, we need to lock this place down before the Alliance sends an evac transport," came the reply, likely from the man in charge. Liara's smirk grew as she heard the approaching footsteps of several armoured persons, and she tightened the grip on her pistol ever so slightly.

The door opened and two armoured henchmen stepped inside, weapons up and ready to fire. They were immediately taken out by close-range headshots as Liara fired from the blind spot next to the door. She kept up the initiative as she stepped neatly through the door and fired at the three remaining troopers, two more in the standard white and black and the last in a more high-tech and bulky outfit trimmed in blue. The normal troopers died almost instantly, but the leader's armour was slightly better, her shots stopped by the shield generator. This provided enough of an opportunity for him to fire his modified rifle at her, the shots impacting hard against her barriers before her pistol fire overwhelmed his defences and took him out. Liara discharged the glowing heat-sink and made a decision to move towards the security station.

She was near the security station, approaching as stealthily as she could, when her cover was blown by something she hadn't anticipated. Her QEC blared to life, a hologram of Granny Frump appearing over her wrist as she listened around a corner at the men stationed at the security checkpoint.  
"Damn it!" Liara cursed as Granny's dying declaration brought the attention of the Cerberus attackers to her. She might have been able to take them if she had the drop on them, but there were far too many for her to take in a straight-up fight.  
"All units, we have an asari on the loose, sector J," she heard shouted behind her as she ran. "Converge and eliminate!"

Liara ducked around the corner, cursing Granny in her mind for picking such an inopportune moment to die. She could hear the approaching footsteps from multiple directions now, and knew she needed to find a different path. She looked around frantically until she saw the ventilation shaft running along the ceiling. Pulling the grill off was no problem with her biotics, nor was jumping up to pull herself in. The problem was that she was barely able to move around, and her enemies would have a much better shot than she did if they followed her through the shaft.

She needed to get to the security station, but right now going directly there made little sense – no point getting caught with enemies in front and behind. Maybe if she circled around the garage she could lose a few of them and take some others out before moving back to her objective? Deciding upon that course of action, Liara turned left instead of right at the intersection, listening as the Cerberus squad leader gave commands to have her followed and killed.

* * *

"Have we got the Mars facility on comms yet?" Wednesday asked as she prepared the _Normandy's_ shuttle.  
"Negative Shepard," Samantha replied. "I've been trying all the usual channels, even a few of the unusual ones, but no response. I'm picking up some signals from the surface, but they aren't using Alliance encryption."  
"Break them," Wednesday ordered.  
"Already working on it," Sam replied. "I've already ruled out any Council encoding, and it's definitely human from the coding language. Wait, I've got something, patching it through."  
"… _we've lost the asari_," came a tinny male voice.  
"_She isn't important_," a female voice, thick with frustration, replied. "_Secure the facility and await further orders._"

"Well, that complicates things," Shepard mused with a grin. "I always love complications. Sam, is the _Waterloo_ still in contact range?"  
"Aye, I'll make the call," the specialist replied. A moment later, David was on the shuttle's small screen.  
"Did you miss something, Shepard?"  
"New information David," Wednesday replied. "It seems that unknown hostiles have gotten a foothold at the Mars Archive, and I've got to extract a VIP. Though it would be fun with just James and I, some assistance would be valuable."  
"Most of my marines need medical attention after the fight on Earth. Alenko and Williams are the only ones I can spare at the moment."  
"Wonderful, do send them down in a shuttle. I'll make sure to get you a good bottle next time we're on the Citadel."  
"I'll hold you to it," David replied, before he smiled. "Oh, by the way, what should I call you?"  
"You mean, now that I'm a pirate?" Wednesday asked with childlike glee. David merely nodded knowingly. "I haven't decided yet."  
"Well, let me know when you do."

As the channel cut away, Wednesday turned to the shuttle controls just as Vega sat down in the navigator chair.  
"There you are lieutenant. Just one more and we'll be ready."  
"What do you mean one more?" Vega asked. "The only combat personnel I saw were you and I." Wednesday just smiled at him in an unsettling way, before she called out for her favourite manservant/siege weapon.  
"Oh, Lurch?"  
"**You. Called**." replied a voice behind them, a deep, chest-rumbling bass that sounded like a door to a vampire's castle. Vega nearly jumped out of his seat as he turned around to see the only man taller than he was, if not perhaps as muscled. What little he could see of the man's skin was as grey as a tombstone. The rest of him was covered in armour that had a decidedly gothic aesthetic, covered as it was with spikes, blades and rivets. The weapon he could see over the man's shoulder was bigger than his own, and looked to have been converted from a vehicular auto-cannon. Vega just looked from this Lurch to Wednesday and back, his face showing discomfort even as Wednesday's smile grew.

* * *

"You can't be serious," Ashley said after Anderson explained what was about to happen. "Sir," she added, seeing his hard expression.  
"As much as it pains me Ash, I have to agree with Anderson," Kaidan replied. "Those are our people down there. If there's something going on, we should investigate and help if we can."  
"Shepard's going in as well, so you'll have more bodies on the ground," Anderson added.  
"If it's Shepard, then bodies are what you're going to get," Ashley replied miserably. "And Sir, not that I'm trying to disobey orders, but I'm not comfortable going into a situation like this blind."  
"Neither am I Williams, but it is how it is," Anderson said sternly. He knew the relationship between Shepard and his senior officers was… contentious, at best, but he needed them to work together now. "I'm not going to order you to follow Shepard's commands, since her status is a little confused at the moment, so you'll be going under Alenko's command. Major, I want you to support Shepard as needed, but be aware we have a limiting factor in the Reaper presence. If I feel they are getting too close, I will order you out, and you'll either be on my ship or off it when I leave the system. Am I clear?"  
"Crystal Sir," Ask and Kaidan replied in unison.  
"Good, get down to the shuttle, locked and loaded."

* * *

"Shepard, we've got a storm coming in," Vega said from the navigator's chair.  
"I see it," Wednesday replied. In other circumstances, she would love to ride the storm with a gav-board, nothing but the lightning and the wind around her, nasty death awaiting the slightest mistake. Sadly, such leisure activities would have to wait. She piloted the shuttle down and waited as the shuttle from the _Waterloo_ touched down a moment later. Everyone was in full gear, but it was impossible for Wednesday to miss the slight hesitation from Alenko and Williams as they approached her and Lurch.  
"I saw some bodies on the approach," Alenko began.  
"So did I," Wednesday replied with a smile, unseen inside her helmet. "Shall we go play?" Even Vega saw the shudder from Williams as Wednesday took the lead towards the facility.  
"Is she for real?" he asked Alenko as they followed Shepard, arms ready.  
"I used to ask myself the same question," the major replied, shaking his head to focus himself.

They followed the ridge down to the main vehicle entrance, only to find a group of bodies at the bottom. Vega didn't know, but Williams and Alenko could both read the disappointment in Shepard's body language that she wasn't able to take off her helmet in these conditions. Otherwise, she would have had her fingers in the blood the moment she reached the bottom, said finger in her mouth to taste the red fluid by the time Vega hit the ground.  
"That's Sergeant Reece," Williams said, recognising the body in the middle. "It looks like he was caught off-guard, shot in the back." The sound of a gunshot nearby brought them all up, weapons shouldered as they moved towards it. Alenko had a pistol out, his biotics already beginning to flare. Vega pulled out a monstrous carbine, though still smaller than Lurch's weapon, while Wednesday and Williams pulled out their snipers. They moved through cover as quickly as they could as a second shot rang out, before they came across the source.

Cerberus troopers were milling around some Alliance APCs, a group of captured Alliance marines kneeling on the ground, or at least they had been. The white-armoured men seemed to be taking particular pleasure in drawing it out as one of them brandished his weapon before placing it right in the faceplate of the last soldier still on his feet and pulling the trigger.  
"Open fire," Wednesday ordered sharply as she peered down the scope. She drew a bead on the executioner before squeezing her own trigger, the Cerberus armour providing no protection from her powerful round as his head split apart like a sledgehammer striking a melon. Williams demonstrated her own proficiency with the long-barrelled rifle as she downed another trooper, the chest-shot spraying his comrades with gore. Between Lurch and Vega, three more troopers fell under a veritable shower of bullets, while another found himself flung at terminal velocity into a vehicle courtesy of Alenko's biotics. The rest of the troopers didn't last much longer under their combined firepower, before Wednesday and her team moved forward to investigate.

"No vehicle tracks," Williams said, looking around at the Alliance APCs. From the top of another nearby ridge, Lurch rumbled and pointed east. Wednesday followed the zombie's directions and saw a pair of shuttles under an escarpment, painted in Cerberus colours.  
"Well, looks like they came in here," Wednesday said. She merely nodded to Lurch, who opened fire on the shuttles. In a matter of seconds, they were more Swiss than cheese.  
"Why though, what does Cerberus want with this facility?" Alenko asked.  
"Your guess is as good as mine Major," Wednesday replied. She had no intention of letting either of them know that Liara was looking for something here.  
"You'd need a lot more reinforcement to take this place than what we've seen," Williams added as they made their way to the garage airlock. "This seems like an inside job," she said, looking towards Wednesday.

"Are you suggesting I had something to do with this, Lieutenant-Commander?" Wednesday asked accusingly, sensing Williams' gaze. As the airlock cycled, everyone instinctively removed their helmets to equalise the pressure between the suits and the internal atmosphere.  
"Are you saying you didn't?" Ashley replied, though slightly nervously. She backed up slightly as the air began to cycle in, mostly because Wednesday had gotten uncomfortably close without appearing to have actually moved through the intervening space. She found herself staring into Wednesday's unflinching hazel eyes, and blinked.  
"Ashley, you should know by now not to believe everything you read," Wednesday purred, stroking a tan cheek in a way that made Ashley shiver, before turning her attention to the roof splitting open to reveal the hangar. "In any case, Cerberus is my enemy as much as everyone else's, if for no other reason than they are undermining our efforts. You'll have to look very hard to find someone who will shoot Cerberus troopers faster than me Ash."

A moment later they managed to find one. As they spread out to investigate, a series of grunts, ricochets and clangs came from the ceiling, shortly before a grill from the ventilation system was kicked out. It was followed shortly after by a lithe asari in an armoured outfit, who threw a biotic singularity behind her, trapping two Cerberus troopers in the unstable gravity field. She calmly drew her pistol and shot them once each before the field dissipated and they dropped to the floor. Her features never flickered as she stepped up to them and cleanly shot them each twice more.  
"_Dios mio_," Vega breathed, just loud enough for the asari to hear. She turned on them, her weapon out and ready to fire, only stopping when she saw they weren't Cerberus. She was tackled a moment later by Wednesday, who had run up to greet her with a powerful hug.  
"That was the sexiest thing I've ever seen," the dark-haired human said in a breathy whisper, full of need and arousal, before she kissed Liara like she hadn't seen her in six months, rather than merely several weeks. A human hand may have strayed below the asari's waist an attempted a discreet grope, but was hampered by the discreet armour plates in the coat Liara wore. Liara pulled away from the kiss, to an upset Wednesday's slight whine.

"There will be time enough for that later my love," Liara admonished, and Wednesday nodded sheepishly. After Wednesday pulled out of the hug she had initiated, Liara made out some familiar faces in the background.  
"Ah Lurch, excellent, I could use a door opener," Liara said approvingly. "Ashley, Kaidan," she said neutrally. "And I'm afraid I don't know you," she said to the last, a hulking brute of a human male only eclipsed by Lurch and a few krogan she knew, who was blushing a little.  
"That's Vega," Wednesday said by way of introduction. "What's going on, Liara?"  
"Ah, that. I've finally finished my project, but Cerberus took the base before I could retrieve the information from the Archive."  
"Excuse me, what information?" Alenko asked.

"Its blueprints for a device the protheans made, or perhaps attempted to make, during the last Reaper invasion," Liara explained quickly. "I haven't had time to analyse it, I only just finished compiling the data when the attack came. We need to retrieve that data."  
"Sounds like Cerberus wants those plans," Alenko said, his curiosity satisfied.  
"Alright, what's the quickest way to the Archive then?" Wednesday asked.  
"The tramway," Liara said, gesturing towards the window at the tram. They all saw the fire flashing between them as the last of the Alliance personnel fought the invading forces. "I was leading those two away so I could double back, but with you here, it makes things easier."  
"I agree," Wednesday replied. Thinking quickly about her forces, she came up with a plan.

"Vega, I need you to head back to the shuttle. Get in the sky and be ready to give us some aerial support, just in case. Kaidan, you and Ash are coming with us. Lurch, be a dear and open the door." Vega, Alenko and Williams appeared to want to argue, but a look from her silenced them all. Vega moved back to the airlock as Alenko and Williams formed up grudgingly. Lurch made his way to the door, only to find someone slicing through it. He rumbled, not particularly caring as he shoved his thick digits through the sliced section and heaved, the security mechanisms failing in the face of the zombie's implacable, unwavering strength. The Cerberus troopers behind it looked shocked for a moment, before they were cut down by the combined fire of everyone behind Lurch.

They formed up, Lurch in front, the rest of them behind as they made their way directly to the tram security checkpoint. As they went they encountered various classes of Cerberus troops, including ones who had been issued with a kind of riot shield that seemed a cut above the normal Cerberus armour. The shields seemed to stop everything, including biotics and even Lurch's auto-cannon, at least for a moment. Those holding the shields coupled it with a pistol-sized shotgun, a devastating combo in the close-quarters they found themselves in – devastating, that is, until Shepard, Liara and Alenko pulled the shields away, and Ash took a moment to line up a shot through the thin slot the troopers used to look through.

Wednesday and her team moved quickly. The resident researchers and remaining Alliance personnel were quickly located dead in the cafeteria, alarms indicating that the airlock had been overridden. A short walk later found them in the security centre, where the auto-turret had been programmed to consider them hostile. Lurch, while solid and dependable as an ancient oak battering ram, was left behind as the rest of the team flitted their way around cover until they could see the Cerberus troops manning the station, gunning them down with extreme prejudice. Once the turret was disabled, Lurch came forward and opened the recalcitrant doors for them, allowing Liara to sit down and attempted to work the security.

"That bitch, I knew there was something wrong about her!" Liara exclaimed as she found a recording of the insider. She reversed it so they all could see an attractive brunette come into the security station before methodically, almost robotically, killing the two men stationed there and allowing Cerberus to take the station.  
"Who is she?" Ashley asked.  
"Dr Eva Core, or at least that's the name she gave," Liara said with definite irritation as she worked. "She's been here for a few months now, but no-one really figured out what she does except spy on other people's work. Guess we know better now." Liara gave up in disgust a few seconds later.

"I'm locked out!" she said with a grimace. "The tram system is isolated and completely locked down from this end. The only way we're getting a tram is from the other end."  
"Could we get them to send one?" Alenko asked. "They have to have short-range communications, if we can hijack one, maybe we can convince them we're friendlies."  
"I'll do you one better Alenko, my comm specialist broke through their encryption," Wednesday said with a superior smirk. She pressed a button on her omni-tool and waited until Sam acknowledged. "Sam, be a dear and patch me into the Cerberus communications."  
"Done," came the reply a few seconds later. "Any other minor miracles you'd like me to perform while I keep track of your position, constantly-shifting enemy communication channels, Alliance combat chatter and what I suspect is Reaper code flooding the entire Sol system?" came the sarcastic reply. And there was no sarcastic like British sarcastic.  
"That will be all Sam. Don't forget to schedule a relaxing massage later, it's not good to be so tense."  
"From you, not likely. Oh, and hi Liara," Sam added. Wednesday risked a look at her lover's face, and the slight hint of smugness and arousal, and _knew_ she was going to get it later. Liara didn't approve of Wednesday flirting with Sam anymore, not after she had found out about the dusky Oxford graduate and EDI were more than merely platonic friends. The asari's look reminded Wednesday of what to expect next time they were appropriately alone, likely involving whips and chains. Something to look forward to, certainly.

For the moment, she had other concerns than how Liara was going to play with her body and soul. Wednesday opened a channel to the Cerberus forces on the other side, trusting implicitly Sam's work.  
"This is bravo team, all hostiles eliminated. Requesting a tram, over."  
"Where have you been, you're late" came a gruff reply.  
"We were dealing with the rubes that turned up in those shuttles. Now send over the tram."  
"Fine," the other end said.  
"Let's give them a surprise," Wednesday said with a smirk, reactivating the auto-turret.

"Hands were I can see them," Ashley suddenly barked, her pistol pointed at Shepard. Wednesday turned around, her smirk never lessening, to find Ashley advancing on her with murder in her eyes. Behind her, she could make out that the tanned woman had been investigating the downed Cerberus troopers, only to find that under the helmet they had more in common with Reaper husks than normal humans.  
"Problem, Ash?" Wednesday asked calmly.  
"I'm relieving you of your weapons until you can be properly studied," Ashley said firmly, though less so now that Wednesday was facing her. "Cerberus built you the same way they built him, and I'm not going to work with you until they've dissected you."  
"My my Ash, such bold words," Wednesday said, clapping her hands slowly. "But can you back them up with actions?" she asked, stepping closer to Ashley with each clap. The pistol, and the eyes behind it, shook a little more with each step until the barrel rested on Wednesday's chestplate. "Go on then Ash, arrest me. I'm defenceless, after all."

Ashley licked her lips, her eyes darting everywhere. The fell briefly on Alenko, who was white-faced and frozen. They alighted similarly on Liara, looking on at the scene with contempt, but still seated in her chair. They stared mostly at Shepard, into those ever-shifting eyes and that damnable smirk.  
_Wait, where's Lurch?_ she thought frantically to herself. She took another look around the room, not seeing the silent fleshy monolith that followed Wednesday like a horrible cross between a puppy and a siege engine, before she felt a sudden sensation of looming. She looked directly up into a face like a small moon: grey, covered in scars, and with a gravity all its own. Hands that had torn apart tanks rested firmly but insistently on Ashley's shoulders, reminding her that while Wednesday may have been, right at the current moment, at her mercy, she was most definitely at his.

Ashley slowly lowered her weapon, and Lurch left her in one piece, for now. The mood was only briefly interrupted by the sound of the auto-turret firing, mowing down the Cerberus reinforcements that had been on the tram. Ashley broke eye contact first, backing down and moving silently over to Kaidan, who finally released the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding.  
"We're on the same side Ash, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner we can all go back to fighting the real enemy," Wednesday said as she left, turning the turret off once again as she left. She didn't wait for an acknowledgement, simply walking into the tram in the sure confidence that everyone would follow. When she pushed the button to send them across, refitting her helmet as the tram itself was unpressurised, she turned around to find all four of them with her, and she smirked again.

Part way across the tram line, a small explosion damaged the rail and stopped them dead. Thankfully, Cerberus spared them having to walk across the gantry and sent the other tram, once again full of reinforcements. This time, Wednesday took great delight in unsheathing her sword and jumping across to the other tram to skewer, slice and even decapitate her foes, covering the tram and herself in thick, rich blood. She once again regretted the necessity of her helmet as she watched it drip and congeal, the richness of information she could glean from it wasted. The others jumped over as well and the rest of the trip was spent in silence, except for Ashley's quiet dry heaving. Wednesday was only slightly disappointed at Ash's surprising resilience. During her N7 training, she'd managed to make one of her fellow officer's vomit right into his helmet. There's nothing quite like seeing a fully-grown man realising the he's regurgitated his lunch into a sealed unit covering his face, realising the wet sensation around his ears is his own stomach contents, then vomiting some more.

Fortunately for them, and unfortunately for the Cerberus troops waiting for them at the Archive side of the tram security checkpoint, the enemy troopers provided just the right distraction from the blood sprayed liberally around the tram car. It was hardly even fair for the flunkies as Alenko and Williams shot them just so they could put from their minds what they had just seen, while Lurch, Wednesday and Liara shot them because it was far too much fun. Once the screams, gunshots and smoke grenades dissipated, and Wednesday personally ensuring that there were no survivors, they made their way into the archive room itself.

The room was big, but still managed to make the prothean archive itself look imposing, like it was warping the space around it just to fit. The strange computer stood in the middle of the room, green light flickering along alien circuit pathways seemingly carved into the onyx-black stone. Liara moved up quickly, her fingers flying over the main interface. Alenko and Williams began a perimeter check, while Wednesday and Lurch kept vigil over the asari. Behind Wednesday, a hologram of the archive itself shifted, the Illusive Man's image taking its place.  
"Shepard," he said with a dismissive tone, as if seeing his enemy here, at this time, was a mere annoyance. Liara turned around, her gun out and ready, but put it away just as quickly seeing it was just a hologram. Wednesday faced him with a smirk.  
"Mr Harper, so glad you could join us," she said irreverently. The man's eye twitched, but he let it slide for now. There was gloating to be had, after all.

"Fascinating race, the protheans. They left it all here for us, and we squandered it. What has the Alliance done in the last thirty years they've had with it?" he asked them.  
"Not that I don't love our little chats Jack, but we're on a bit of a schedule here," Wednesday said flippantly. "So if we could get right to the point please?" With a nod, Liara went back to scouring the archive for her completed datafile.  
"The data in these archives holds the key to solving the Reaper threat, and I intend to use it."  
"I've seen your solution Jack, and I'm not impressed," Wednesday said dismissively. "Using Reaper tech to subvert your soldiers, not the smartest move you've ever made."  
"They are being improved, Shepard. You see, that's what separates us, where you see a means to destroy, I see a way to harness the Reaper's power and dominate the galaxy. Imagine how strong humanity would be if we controlled them!"

"The entire galaxy is under attack, and you're hatching a scheme to control the Reapers?" Wednesday asked incredulously. Her smirk faded a little at his obvious mental shortcomings, but then she'd seen some of the other projects he'd sponsored, like Overlord, and realised there was no depth of madness he wouldn't sink to.  
"Once again, you fail to see the larger picture Shepard, just like with the Collectors," he said condescendingly.  
"You're just mad because I broke your toys," Wednesday said, smirk firmly back in place.  
"I don't expect you to understand Shepard, and I'm certainly not looking for your approval," Harper replied sternly. "You were a tool, an agent with a singular purpose, which despite our differences you completed perfectly. But like the rest of the relics in this place, your time is over."  
"If anyone's a tool here, it's definitely you," Wednesday replied jokingly. The Illusive Man said nothing, merely ending the transmission.

"Wednesday, we have a problem," Liara said with concern.  
"What's going on?" Shepard asked.  
"The data, it's missing!"  
"It's been deleted?"  
"No, it's being downloaded and wiped from the system. It's local though," Liara said, her fingers attempting to reverse whatever was happening. A third of the way around the circular room, they heard Ashley shout something, before the entire system flickered and went dead, the power interrupted. They both looked up to see Ashley flying through the air to impact heavily on the outer wall, before Dr Core came running towards them.  
"Stop her, she must have the data!" Liara shouted, throwing a biotic stasis field. The lithe doctor was more agile than average and ducked under the purple ball with barely a millisecond pause, throwing them back a look of contempt and an omni-tool generated fireball. Wednesday just smiled and unsheathed her sword, looking forward to the chase.

Core ran back to the security station, locking down the small alcove where the controls lay. Wednesday's hand glowed as she punched right through the mechanism and tore open the door ala Lurch, before she had to duck out of the way of another fireball. Core shot her another look before shattering the glass and running to the side, where a ladder led to an external emergency airlock. She didn't bother with a helmet as she forced the door open, Wednesday thankfully hadn't removed hers as she quickly followed, and hearing the sounds of pursuit behind her as the rest of them joined the chase.  
_Not entirely human_, Wednesday thought to herself as she realised that Core wasn't wearing a helmet, yet seemed to be operating at peak performance instead of asphyxiating. Core raced along the outside of the building, her omni-tool lit and probably talking to whatever Cerberus reinforcements were still around, though the storm tore away the words before Wednesday heard them.

She didn't miss the sound of a shuttle flying over them, manoeuvring so that the side hatch could open and the troops inside could lay down some suppressive fire. The tactic worked for a few seconds, until Liara turned the corner and threw a carefully aimed singularity into the open shuttle, the wildly-fluctuating gravity throwing the shuttle into chaos and the troopers into the open air. Core didn't stop running through, heading for a ladder to the top of the facility. Wednesday activated her own omni-tool, opening a channel to the _Normandy-A_.  
"Sam, we may have some Cerberus forces trying to escape soon. I want the _Normandy_ ready to disable, not destroy, any shuttle that attempts to leave orbit that isn't ours."  
"Aye ma'am," came the short reply, along with a few seconds of her relaying orders.

Core had a significant lead on Wednesday as she got to the top of the ladder and the roof, the newly-christened pirate watching with irritation as a Cerberus shuttle scooped her up and began to ascend. She wasn't mad, given her last orders, but she was annoyed that she didn't get to finish it on foot. Sheathing her sword in frustration as the rest of them followed, Alenko was the one who swore first.  
"Fuck! Now what?" he shouted.  
"Patience," Wednesday said maddeningly. Her omni-tool lit up again, and Vega's voice came through the comm.  
"The cavalry has arrived!" he whooped, like a cowboy of old. They looked up to see the blue and black Kodiak from the _Normandy_ bearing down on the Cerberus shuttle like an eagle on its prey. "Crap, how do you fire the guns again?" came a worried question, before the answer didn't matter. The two shuttles slammed into each other, the Cerberus one sandwiched between Vega's and the roof, careening along until it finally came to a broken, flaming wreck. Vega's wasn't well-off either, limping around in a circle and coming to a rough landing at the opposite end of the building.

"We need the data," Liara said, leading the way to the Cerberus wreckage. She gingerly picked her way to the broken hatch, before the booming sounds of something trying to escape came to them through the storm-blown air. Just as Liara took a step beck the door flew through the air, knocking down Ashley and Kaidan. Core emerged a second later, her suit blackened and torn; her arms, legs and face bleeding from numerous lacerations. Her black hair was a mess, and her ears seemed to have been destroyed. What made sense to Wednesday now were the hints of silver and light from the deeper cuts, the smooth plate where the ears had been, and the holographic visor now over the eyes.  
_Android then, Terminator style_. _Maybe I underestimated Jack's taste_, _because that's awesome!_ Wednesday thought to herself, before the thing picked up Ashley and Kaidan each with one hand around their necks.

"Orders?" she heard it ask, but not the reply. The order it had been given was clear enough though, as it rammed the two heads it held together hard enough to dent their helmets, and Wednesday thought she even heard the crack of bones before the two limp bodies were slammed into the wreckage. Core then turned to Wednesday, who unsheathed her sword again and made a sound that was part laugh, part growl at the challenger. No one broke her playthings but her! The two of them ran at each other, their first lunges matching. Wednesday slashed with her sword, the blade biting deep into the metal hidden beneath the arm. The android's other arm lashed out at her, but not hard enough to penetrate her barrier or armour. The two of them passed each other and turned, like jousters of old. They stared each other down for a moment before charging again. However, as her blade once again caught the android on the arm, a powerful discharge of electricity flowed down the length of the blue steel and into Core, shocking her before she overloaded and went limp.  
"Let's just hope the data is still intact," Liara said bitterly. Wednesday cleaned and sheathed her blade, calling to the _Normandy-A_ for a pickup. Liara carefully immobilised and lifted Ashley and Kaidan with her biotics in case there was any nervous system damage, while Wednesday hefted the surprisingly-light android over her shoulder. Vega emerged from the shuttle looking a little sheepish, but also a little proud after Wednesday flashed him a smirk. A moment later the _Normandy's_ familiar prow burst through the dust and they clambered up the ramp, Lurch dragging the damaged shuttle with him.

As soon as they cleared the atmosphere, Wednesday put a call through to Anderson, voice only, as they took the elevator upwards.  
"Shepard, did you get what Hackett sent you for?" he asked with a hint of worry.  
"Hopefully, Cerberus put up a hell of a fight for it," Wednesday replied. "I've got Ash and Kaidan with me, they took a nasty hit, so I'll have Chakwas look at them and give me a recommendation."  
"Understood. Hackett's just sent through the evacuation order, so I'll have to rendezvous with you on the Citadel. I've got Reaper's approaching on the scanners, so I think it best if we leave."  
"We'll win this David, or die trying," Wednesday said with firm conviction. The way she said it, it was hard to tell which option she preferred.  
"That's what I'm afraid of," he replied bitterly, before signing off.

Wednesday led the way to the infirmary, where Chakwas was already preparing some beds.  
"Got some presents for you Karin," Wednesday said, jerking her head to the two prone figures being floated by Liara. Chakwas directed Liara while Wednesday moved to the rear of the medbay and deposited her load on the workbench in the AI core. As she came out, Chakwas was already industriously removing the armour from Ashley and Kaidan, the top half of their bodies looking like one massive bruise.  
"Liara, can you and EDI work on the android, see if it still has the plans?" Wednesday asked. Liara nodded and went back into the AI core. The ravenette turned to the silver-haired doctor and asked about her newest charges.  
"I'm not going to lie, its bad Shepard," Chakwas said soberly. "I won't risk anything invasive, more's the pity, because so far I'm reading hairline fractures along the impact point of their skulls, and seven ribs broken between them. Williams has a fractured scapula, Alenko a fractured collarbone. I've had to completely immobilise them in case they have nervous damage in their necks. I can treat them, but they need a proper hospital in order to make a full recovery in any useful timeframe."  
"Alright, we're heading there now anyway. Hopefully Anderson won't be too mad that I've put these two out of action again." She left with a smirk, humming a little tune under her breath. To anyone who had been with her the time she was on the Citadel after Saren, they would have recognised her little ditty, ding dong and all.

Wednesday made a quick stop at the CIC to confirm destination and orders, before retiring to her cabin. She had been in two major battles today, and hadn't had time for proper rest or meals between them. Thankfully, one of the refurbishments she had requested was a small store of food and a kitchenette in her cabin, so she could unwind after a hard day. Or at least, that's what she told Sam. In reality, the small fridge held Wednesday's personal chocolate stash, which weren't the usual soft-centred dark chocolate bites. The Brit was like a bloodhound for the bitter little bites, and Wednesday had found it was hard to hide them from the determined chocoholic. There had been quite a few close calls during the refit where Sam had found Wednesday's stash hidden around the ship and almost eaten one. Such an event probably would have ended badly for Traynor, who didn't have the kind of poison resistance all Addams started developing practically once they were on solids.

Wednesday opened her fridge and her eyes travelled along the sealed containers. There weren't a lot of them, but each one had a different colour lid, the meaning of which only Wednesday knew. Her hands roved over them, before she selected the container with the red lid, opening it and popping the chocolate therein into her mouth. She moaned a little as the smooth, slightly bitter taste of the rich cocoa floated onto her taste buds, followed by the acidic sting of the snake venom she had laced into the small treat.

Shepard heard the door open, and knew only one person who had the appropriate access. She turned to find Liara standing there, smirking at her lover.  
"You've made a mess, my darling," the asari said, crossing the short distance between them. As she reached Wednesday she reached out a single finger, tracing along the thin trickle that had escaped at the corner of the human's mouth. She gathered the warm liquid chocolate at the tip of her finger and rubbed it along her lover's lips, who opened them and sucked at the digit greedily. Liara enjoyed the sensations for a moment, before she pulled out her finger and replaced it with her own lips, tasting the vestiges of Wednesday's latest snack, the bitter chocolate and biting poison mixing with the scent and taste of her mouth to create something uniquely Wednesday. Liara was once again thankful for Morticia's advice in getting the gene-mod to filter out poisons; it had opened up a whole range of new taste experiences to share with Wednesday. As the kiss broke, Liara looked deep into Wednesday's soulful, hungry eyes.  
"I believe you promised me something on Mars," Wednesday said in a breathy, needy whisper.  
"I do believe I did," Liara replied, her biotics flaring and capturing Wednesday's hands above her head. "I'm going to take a long time enjoying myself tonight," she whispered in Wednesday's ear as she held her lover captive, before latching on to the skin at the nape of her neck with her lips and tongue.

* * *

It would be a long night for Wednesday and Liara, but one they would both remember for quite some time.

* * *

**A/N: Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for Wednesday by your side.**

**So, here's the next chapter, and we're really getting closer to a few moments that I'm really going to enjoy writing once we get to the appropriate point. Not too much divergence from the game yet, but trust me, it's coming. **

**Also, for the first time ever, I received a piece of fan art. Konda020946, inspired by my work and that of the late great Terry Pratchett, has written an Omake, which he has kindly given permission for me to include in this chapter. If you like it, please send him praise. **

**If you like this chapter of course, please give me reviews! I'll see you all next time!**

* * *

**DEAD LETTERS by Konda020946**

In a grey mansion, at a place where neither time nor the actual place existed, a grouchy looking man walked towards a thin being in a black cloak. Said being had occupied itself by taking care of a majestic white horse.

"Boss?" The grouchy man asked.

YES ALBERT? the cloaked entity replied.

"You've gotten mail boss." The newly named Albert said and handed an envelope towards his superior, who took it from him with a skeletal hand.

CURIOUS. DO YOU KNOW HOW THAT CAME TO HAPPEN? the character said, while his eyes pulsed in the back of the hood, bearing great similarity to dying blue suns.

"Well normally someone posts a letter at a Post Office and it gets delivered, in exchange for some local currency. In most cases that includes stamping the letter, for the verification of the exchange of money." Albert stated cheekily.

I ALREADY KNEW THAT. I WAS ASKING ABOUT HOW IT GOT DELIVERED, was the irritated reply, which was accompanied by a loud neigh from the horse.

"No idea it just sat there on the side table besides the door. You know the one where you put the ankh, if you have finished your day's work." This time the answer was rather timid.

SO IT WASN'T PLACED IN A POSTBOX AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE ESTATE? the entity asked. While still tense, there was a definite lessening of tension about its general vicinity.

"Yes boss." Albert answered with relief in his voice.

GOOD. I HOPED THAT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY THAT, the presence said, with the smallest hint of satisfaction in its voice.

"Why are you concerned about a postbox?"Albert asked confused.

SEVERAL REASONS ALBERT. THE FIRST ONE OF THEM IS THAT I DO NOT OWN A POSTBOX. THE SECOND ONE IS THAT I WOULD NOT LIKE TO OWN A POSTBOX, the being stated slightly ostentatiously.

"I can't see why a postbox would be that much of an inconvenience." Albert stated still confused.

OH THE POSTBOX WOULD NOT BE THAT MUCH OF A CONCERN IN ITSELF. IT IS WHAT FOLLOWS A POSTBOX THAT CONCERNS ME, Albert's boss answered in a tone that bore stunning similarity to a mother's voice, explaining to her increasingly annoying child why it is a bad idea to sit on the stove while it ran.

"I can't remember anything terrible that happened while I owned a postbox, at least nothing that has been directly related to the box. Well there was that incident with old Mrs. Pumpernickel's cat and the firecracker, but that was purely the fault of the cat. Which sane member of any species would remain in the same tightly enclosed space as a fast burning pyrokinetic device? If I remember the incident correctly the cat was purple for the next three months due to the fumes." Albert mused.

I WAS TALKING ABOUT ADVERTS AND LEAFLETS OF ADVERTISING NATURE.

"If you don't mind me asking what is so terrible about those?" Albert asked with a confused tone.

ADVERTISEMENTS ARE MADE FOR ONE OF THREE PURPOSES: TO ATRACT VIEWS, TO DISTRACT THE POTENTIAL BUYER AND TO ADVERTISE PRODUCTS. The entity counted the purposes off by raising one bony finger after another.

"I still fail to see how that would be bad."

I, AS AN ANTHROPOMORPHIC PERSONIFICATION, HAVE NO PHYSICAL NEEDS AND FURTHERMORE, I AM QUITE CONTENT WITH WHAT IS ALREADY IN MY POSSESSION. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN FACT, THEREFORE THIS CANT BE THE REASON FOR SENDING ME ADVERTISEMENT. HENCE THE OTHER TWO REASONS HAVE TO BE THE DEFINING REASON.

AS THE FACT THAT IT ATTRACTS ATTENTION IS SUBSERVIENT TO THE FACT THAT IT HAS TO ADVERTISE PRODUCTS WHICH I ALREADY RULED OUT AND ALSO SUBSERVIENT TO THE LAST ONE THE LAST REASON IS THE ONLY LOGICAL CHOICE WHY SOMEONE WOULD SEND ME ADVERTISEMENT. TO DISTRACT ME, Death explained in a rather ostentatious manner.

"Please don't jump to conclusions with my next question, but why would it be terrible if you were distracted?"

I COULD BE DISTRACTED ENOUGH TO FORGET TO DO MY JOB. The anthropomorphic personification ensured that Albert got his point, by leaning in close and raising its index finger.

"You have not forgotten to do your job in any moment of the living history. At least that is what is written in the history books and I am quite sure we would remember, if people suddenly stopped dying and then started again. So why should you forget it now?"

BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER BEEN DISTRACTED BEFORE. I WOULD NOT KNOW HOW TO REACT TO IT, Albert's boss said matter-of-factly.

"Well then I am happy to reassure you that you do not own a postbox. So no reason for distraction from that front."

GOOD.

"So?"

SO WHAT?

"What is written in the letter?" Albert asked agitatedly.

I WAS INVITED FOR TEA, Death stated.

"Don't mind me asking boss, but who would invite Death for tea?" Death raised the letter to his cowl and took a second look.

IF I AM TO BELIEVE THE NAME GIVEN BY THE LETTERHEAD, IT IS A WOMAN CALLED ESMERALDA FRUMP, He stated.

"Esmeralda sounds a bit like a witch's name."

OH SHE IS MOST DEFINITELY A WITCH, THOUGH NOT IN THE CLASSICAL DEFINITION.

"Why should a witch want to see you. If I can trust my memory, they normally try to evade you politely."

IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE FAMILY SHE BELONGS TO IS PART OF A CLAN THAT IS RATHER STRANGE FOR MORTAL STANDARDS. AND NOT ON THE DISC EITHER, BUT IN ANOTHER DIMENSION ENTIRELY. MEETING THEM IS ALWAYS RATHER REFRESHING. THE LAST MEMBER OF THEM THAT I MET ACTUALLY WAS HER HUSBAND. HE HUGGED ME RATHER FORCEFULLY.

"But what could she want to discuss?"

IF I READ THIS CORRECTLY SHE WANTS TO ASK IF I AM FREE AT A CERTAIN DATE, AS SHE HAS A RATHER DISTINCTIVE PLAN HOW TO LEAVE THE WORLD AND DOES NOT WANT TO BE INCONVENIENT FOR ME.


	3. Bang! Zoom! Straight to the Moon!

"So," Liara said with a yawn, as she and Wednesday stretched out of their slumber.  
"So… what?" Wednesday asked tiredly.  
"What shall we call you now, pirate that you are?"  
"Well, I was thinking something along the lines of Captain. Though there is something to be said for Commodore, or maybe even Admiral. Can't you see me, with the big floppy hat with feathers, bucklin' swash and raiding ships along the trade lanes?" Wednesday asked with a wide grin.  
"I think that, for recognition's sake, you should stick to Commander Shepard. Everyone knows that name." She looked at the cute, pleading look on her lover's face. "Fine, I'll get you a hat."  
"Yes!" the ravenette purred, leaving a kiss on her lover before they prepared for the rest of the day.

* * *

As the _Normandy-A_ approached the Citadel, flanked by its sister ship, the _Waterloo_, Wednesday made the trip to the third deck to catch up with Liara and EDI's progress on extracting the data from the Cerberus android. She found the two of them as she expected, hovering over their project as they conferred and worked. She hadn't expected to see fresh bandages on the cuts the android was sporting.  
"What's with the bandages?" she asked directly.  
"Good morning Shepard," EDI welcomed the human. "We have discovered that the android's skin is more than a synthetic cover, it is living tissue."  
"It would make it more believable as an infiltrator," Liara mused as she worked on the android's head, using the space where the ear used to be as an access port.  
"There is something else… odd, Commander," EDI added, using Wednesday's chosen rank. Wednesday had proudly informed the crew that they had all been 'press ganged into service to Commander Shepard, the black heart of the blackness of space and Pirate Queen' at breakfast, or at least what passed for breakfast on ship time.

"The day hasn't started until there's been something odd happen around me," Wednesday said with a smirk. "What's up?"  
"In my initial scans of the skin, something familiar appeared. I asked Dr Chakwas to remove a sample and run a more thorough analysis, which confirmed my theory."  
"This android is wearing your skin," Liara summed up as she worked.  
"Want to run that by me again, filling in a little more detail?" Wednesday asked, her curiosity piqued.  
"Dr T'Soni's analogy is not quite correct," EDI clarified. "The skin is cloned tissue, but the majority of the genetic markers used in the cloning process bear great similarity to yours. In more layman's terms, a sample of your skin and the android's compared would have a 69.534892% correlation at the genetic level."  
"Interesting," Wednesday mused. That level was more than a sibling, but less than a twin. That would make the android some kind of weird cousin, though considering some of the 'relatives' in the Addams Clan, it would be one of the less weird ones.

Actually, people had been accepted into the Addams Clan on far shakier genetic grounds many times before. Being an Addams was more of a mindset than anything else.

"As fascinating as that is, the bandages?" Wednesday asked, getting back to her original inquiry.  
"It was still bleeding, and it was getting in the way," Liara replied bluntly.  
"That's all I wanted to know," Wednesday replied sweetly. "Well, that, and have you got the data yet?"  
"Short answer, not really," Liara replied. "It's dormant right now, so there are some things we can't access at the moment without difficulty, short-term memory being one of them. From what we've been able to recover, the android had the datafile and was beginning to transfer it somewhere unknown. However, it was transmitting it not based on the index I created, but from the most recently acquired segments." She put down a tool and selected a cable from the bench and carefully attached it to an exposed piece of circuitry. "Sadly, since you interrupted the transmission and we don't want to risk turning it on right now, we don't know if the datafile is still intact," the asari continued. "If it isn't intact, we also won't know what's still in here and what is in the Illusive Man's hands."

"Well, we're a few hours out from the Citadel, and I've already called ahead to let them know I'm coming," Wednesday replied. "Spectre courtesy and all that."  
"Let me guess, they've called you in to a special session," Liara said, finally looking up from her delicate operation.  
"No prize for you, Ms Shadow Broker," Wednesday said, sticking out her tongue.  
"Only part time, and I'll thank you to remember that," Liara replied with a similar tongue. "Morticia holds the title for another two days after all, before I take it back again. I do hope she's enjoying herself with the _Legacy_." Liara's ship, which now had the majority of the Shadow Broker network linked to it, had been given to Morticia as part of the arrangement for splitting the Shadow Broker duties between them. Aside from being a top-of-the-line cross between a pleasure yacht and an attack corvette, it also had one of the staterooms converted into a sex room, filled with all manner of toys, bondage equipment and outfits.  
"Sadly, without Father there to help get her into some of the more involved pieces, she's probably not having as much fun as she usually would," Wednesday said sadly.  
"Which would explain why she's racking up expenses on those 'escorts' she purchased," Liara replied. She and Wednesday shared a look, then shrugged. The Addams lived a very open marriage, and thought nothing of not just having extra-marital lovers, but outright booty calls. "I'll leave you to it," Wednesday said, giving Liara a peck on the cheek and enjoyed the slightly greasy feel of her lover's skin, covered as it was with oil, coolant and a little blood from the android.

* * *

As the _Normandy-A_ went through its docking procedures; Karin Chakwas was already in contact with the nearest hospital, Huerta Memorial. They were met at the airlock by a team of orderlies, who in short order moved the immobilised Ashley and Kaidan onto stretchers and took them away. James Vega walked out with them in his under-armour, since his gear had been on the _Waterloo_ and the only clothes on the _Normandy_ that would fit him belonged to Lurch. For some reason Vega wasn't keen on wearing a dead man's clothes, especially when that corpse could still ask for them back. Wednesday and Liara took the opportunity to leave the ship as well, since this was war and you didn't know when you'd next have a chance to take a breath of fresh air.

The two of them felt it as soon as they stepped onto the station. The atmosphere was tense, but it was also under the surface, like people were trying to convince themselves that the war could never come here.  
_How quickly they forget_, Wednesday mused. _Not three years ago, Nazara and the geth almost brought about the current war. The scars are still there, yet they want to pretend that it won't come here. Sometimes I feel sorry for their lack of perspective. _

Wednesday was brought out her musing partly by a gentle nudge from Liara, but more because of the two figures approaching her. She recognised both of them, though only one of them seemed to be happy to see her.  
"David, good to see you again. And Captain Bailey, what a pleasant surprise," Wednesday said pleasantly.  
"Shepard, though its Commander now," Bailey replied, shaking her hand carefully. Obviously, he'd been let in to certain _classified_ files with his promotion.  
"Commander here as well, though I still think I could have gotten away with Admiral," Wednesday said with only minimal sulk in her voice.  
"Maybe next time, Commander," Anderson said with a smile. "Anyway, I'm just here to pick up Vega so he can collect his personal effects – it can be a bit awkward to jump on a new ship without your toothbrush. I'll check up on Williams and Alenko, thanks again for bringing them back alive." He nodded to Vega, who dutifully followed him away into the docks.

"Wish I could say I'm here on as pleasant a duty," Bailey said with mild irritation. "The Council wanted you there as soon as possible, and since my promotion, such honour as there is in escorting VIPs belongs to me."  
"My condolences," Wednesday said. "Well, let's not keep you away from your duties," she added, nodding to him to lead the way. He led Wednesday and Liara to an elevator to take them to the Presidium tower, which had improved in speed since the pre-Nazara days. As they exited the elevator, Bailey got a ping on his omni-tool. He checked it and swore under his breath.  
"Sorry ladies, I need to go deal with this shit. I'm sure you know the way," he said with a nod, before he left in the direction of C-Sec HQ.

Wednesday was allowed easy access to the Council tower, given her current Spectre status. As she came in, the Council was already in session, and Udina was wasting no time in making a massive annoyance of himself.  
"According to the reports, Earth is bearing the brunt of the attack," he said in his voice, which managed to somehow make anyone who listened to it feel like they had been touched by something unpleasant.  
"Your reports, Udina," Valern said, large eyes narrowing. Wednesday agreed with the sentiment, since as a Spectre she had been allowed remote access to STG assessments of Reaper incursions. While Earth was being hit hard, the turians had been hit harder, while the asari, krogan and salarian territories were being relegated to secondary objectives. At least, that was according to analyses by the STG, who had no experience predicting the Reapers.

"In any event, the Council Fleet could provide much-needed assistance!" Udina said again.  
"We are facing an unprecedented enemy, Udina. With so many civilians coming to the Citadel, the Council Fleet is needed here to maintain peace and order," Tevos said soothingly. "While we sympathise with Earth's plight, it is no worse than what the turians are currently facing." Udina said nothing, just crossing his arms and adopting an ugly sneer on his face.  
"In any event Councillors, we may have something a little more… unconventional," Liara said, bringing up the plans she and EDI had managed to grab from the Cerberus infiltrator. The plans showed a massive device in blues and greens, the technical specifications going over Wednesday's head, but she was at least able to read the prothean technical language, due to her gift of the Cipher.

"What is that?" Sparatus said, his eyes going wide with untempered curiosity.  
"I paid a lot of credits to the Shadow Broker for any information he had," Liara explained, "which in turn led me to the Mars archive, which you all know is one of the largest known prothean archives in existence. It took me several months, but I recovered the plans for a device. One on a massive scale, potentially capable of destruction on a scale I can't even put into words."  
"If the protheans designed such a device, why did they not build it?" Valern asked piercingly.  
"They quite simply ran out of time," Liara replied calmly. "But if we start soon, I believe we can build this device. Unfortunately, the plans I recovered were… interfered with before I could get off Mars. The device was in two pieces, but only the power source blueprints were complete in the file. The internal notes refer to it simply as the Crucible. The other component of this device, what is left in the file, had several references, one of which called it the Catalyst, but I believe a more accurate translation would be the Transmitter. I will keep trying to get more data on the Transmitter, seeing as we still have some resources yet untapped."

"Obviously, we will have to analyse this before we commit any resources," Tevos said, ever the mediator. "However, I think I speak for all my fellows on the Council when I say that this may be the first piece of good news we've had in the last few days." Sparatus and Valern nodded, while Udina just grumped some more.  
"I think we can call this meeting adjourned," Sparatus said, again receiving nods from the three aliens and disdain from Udina.  
"Very well, may the Goddess go with you all," Tevos said, leaving the chamber. She was followed in procession by the rest of the Council, Udina staring daggers into each of their backs. Wednesday and Liara left as well, and made it to the elevators before the Spectre received a message on her omni-tool. Wednesday looked down to check it and was surprised that it was from Sparatus. Intrigued, she showed it to Liara, who only shrugged in silent agreement that it was unusual.

As they entered the office of the turian representative, he was looking out the window at the Presidium laid out below. He turned to them once the door was closed, hitting a button on his desk as he did so.  
"I'm sure you're curious why I asked you here," he said by way of greeting.  
"The thought crossed my mind briefly," Wednesday admitted.  
"I know we haven't always seen eye to eye Shepard, about a lot of things, and I suppose the first thing I need to say is that I apologise for doubting you now." Wednesday didn't let her expression betray her shock at Sparatus ever saying those words, at least while he still looked forward to a healthy, stab-free life.  
"That would be putting it mildly," Liara said for Wednesday.  
"Sadly, hindsight is perfect, as you humans like to say. Unlike Udina, I happen to have friends in the turian military and have a better idea of the tactical situation other than how to use it to my political advantage. I know you've been meeting with Primarch Fedorian in the last six months, and I need to ask you a favour."

"Go on," Wednesday said.  
"Look, no matter what some people think, Matriarch Lidanya won't be the one leading this war. It'll be Fedorian and Hackett, with her as an advisor. I know you and the ranking military leaders have been talking, which is good, because we need that kind of cooperation right now. Unfortunately, Fedorian is far too much of a turian to leave the fight on Palaven until it's far too late."  
"So what exactly are you asking for?" Wednesday asked.  
"I need you to get the Primarch out of the system. If he's smart, and I hope he is, he'll be leading the defence of the system from Menae, the largest moon. If he has, then it'll be easier to extract him."  
"And if he's not?"  
"Then that's why you're a Spectre!" Sparatus said bitingly. "That was rude, but I'm a little on edge. A lot of good friends and comrades are either dead, dying or in the firing line, and I'm here stuck behind a desk dealing with Udina. Give me a straight up fight any day, at least the Reapers aren't trying to pretend they're my ally while stabbing me in the back."

"And what do I get in return?" Wednesday asked bluntly.  
"A grateful Primarch, and a personal favour from me. I've got a lot of pull Shepard, and you won't find me ungrateful. As for Fedorian, I'm sure he can be persuaded not to put Garrus Vakarian next in line for the Primacy, if you ask nicely." The look of mild distaste on the human's face – mixed with amusement at Vakarian's predicament - told him he'd got it right on the money. Not that the younger Vakarian was ever likely to become Primarch, but he'd been jumped up a lot of places in the Hierarchy recently.  
"Well then, best not waste any time," Wednesday said, nodding to Sparatus and leaving the office.

"That was interesting," Liara said as the elevator took them down once more.  
"Certainly, and at least he's more honest than Udina," Wednesday said. "It's almost refreshing. I know why Sparatus doesn't like me, it's a simple racial bias that I can work with. Udina though… he's both far too clever and not clever enough. He thinks big, but misses the details that will get him there. It'll be the death of him, sooner or later." The tone of her voice spoke volumes about how she would like it to be her dealing the death blow to the slimy politician.

* * *

"We have a setback," Udina said into the communicator.  
"What kind?" the voice on the other end asked.  
"The Council refused to send in the Fleet."  
"Unfortunate, but not unexpected either Councillor," the Illusive Man replied. "We have discussed this, we will simply need to activate our other contingency. I will begin sending the troops in, but we'll need your authorisation to get past the security and customs checkpoints."  
"Just so long as I get what we agreed," Udina said, the greed undisguised in his voice.  
"History is written by the _Victors_, Donnel," the Illusive Man replied with a conviction that firmly warranted the capital letter. "And with our plan, we will secure victory not only over the Reapers, but over every race as humanity takes our rightful place as the rulers of the galaxy!"

* * *

As Wednesday approached the dock once more, she found Karin in the nearby lounge. She didn't appear to be enjoying herself, or maybe she was just wishing she had a scalpel at hand to deal with the reporter who had boxed her into a corner.  
"I'm not blind, doctor," Wednesday heard the reporter saying. "I can read the name of the ship just as well as anyone else. The _Normandy_ is Commander Shepard's ship, and it was last seen on Earth. All I'm asking is for you to confirm this state of affairs."  
"Ms Allers, was it?" Chakwas said, her tone deliberately calm. "You're asking me to give you information on a ship, its commander and its movements, fully aware that as it may concern a Spectre giving you such information is probably highly illegal."  
"I'm a professional, doctor; I know what I can and can't report on. This is definitely something I can, if you'd just cooperate!"  
"Sounds like the lady doesn't want to be interviewed," Wednesday said from right behind the nosy reporter.

The ravenette smirked as the reporter jumped at the sudden intrusion into her personal space, before quickly turning around to face her.  
"Oh, Commander, just the person I was looking for," she said, though a little less confident than she had been with Chakwas. Wednesday had that effect on most people. "Diana Allers, I'm with ANN."  
"I'm not officially part of the Alliance anymore, Miss Allers, so no need to call me Commander. However, I do still respond to that name to save confusion."  
"Alright, I had a request for you."  
"I'm listening," Wednesday said. It was the tone of voice, the smirk, the fact she was standing a little too close for comfort, and that she seemed to be _incredibly_ interested in what you about to ask that tended to unnerve people talking to Wednesday.

"I would like to be embedded on your ship as a war correspondent," Allers said after a second to regain her composure.  
"You do realise that as a Spectre, I'll be doing a lot of classified missions, right?"  
"I'm aware of that Commander, and came prepared," she replied, swallowing nervously. She handed over a digital file, which Wednesday opened to see her security credentials, including a top-secret level vetting and a personal endorsement from Anderson. "Wars are swayed by the reporting Commander, and a front-line ship has the best stories. All I need is my camera here," she indicated the drone hovering over her shoulder, "and some space to set up. You'll have veto power over any segments I file."

Wednesday smiled the smile of a predator in front of its prey - when the prey was asking for a favour.  
"Alright, colour me convinced. You'll get a room, a footlocker of personal effects, and twenty minutes to report to the _Normandy_. If you try and file anything I disapprove of, you're out. If you want to leave, you wait until we reach civilisation. I suggest you try the _Waterloo_ next time."  
"I would have, but Admiral Anderson had already left before I could find him, and he suggested you."  
"Indeed," Wednesday said, already moving to the airlock. It was so nice when people volunteered to be her plaything, especially since she'd broken Ashley and Kaidan.

Once she decon cycle had finished, she moved to the helm where Joker was beginning the pre-flight checks.  
"Joker, we're gone in thirty minutes," she said as she stood behind him.  
"Aye ma'am," he replied, all business. "A heads up on our next destination, Commander?"  
"The Trebia system," Wednesday told him.  
"The turian home system?" Joker asked. "Why so far into turian space?"  
"We've got a pickup, an old friend of ours."  
"Is it Garrus? I really hope it's Garrus."  
"We'll probably get him too, but it's actually the Primarch we're picking up."  
"Fedorian?" Joker asked, to which she nodded. "He's an alright guy, as far as turians go. I mean, for all that he's named after a hat."  
"Well, let's hope that he remembers us just as fondly," Wednesday said, heading back towards the elevator.

* * *

As the _Normandy-A_ approached Palaven's moon in full stealth, the sheer size of the turian fleets became apparent, as well as how much that fleet seemed irrelevant next to the sheer size of the Reaper force. If nothing else, it was a grim reminder that this war wouldn't be won by any single species acting alone. Thankfully, Wednesday had anticipated this and had been laying the groundwork for months. Time to see if it was about to pay off.

As they approached the moon, the amount of chatter became too much for even the great Samantha Traynor to find any useful information. Wednesday pulled up her omni-tool instead, hitting the button that would open a channel to Garrus Vakarian. According to his last check-in with her a few days ago, he was somewhere near the Primarch.  
"Wednesday, I was wondering when you'd turn up," Garrus' hologram said between firing at targets only he could see. Occasionally, a second turian would come within range of the camera, enough to make out it was a female, but nothing that could identify them.  
"I'm here to pick up the Primarch, and I suppose you as well, if you're interested."  
"Well, you're going to have a slight problem then Wednesday," Garrus said sadly. "Fedorian's dead, his shuttle got shot down about a day ago as he tried to get to the Citadel. Communication's been patchy, the Reaper forces have been targeting comm relays and repair bunkers. Palaven command will know who the next Primarch is, but I'm not anywhere near getting a signal to find out at the moment."

"I need the Primarch Garrus, even if it turns out to be you," Wednesday warned.  
"Oh no, I learned that lesson. I am not going to be the Primarch, even if you put a gun to my head!" Garrus complained.  
"Even if I put one to your head, Scarface?" came the reply from the female Garrus was fighting with.  
"Not now, Solana," Garrus said threateningly. "Look Wednesday, I'm near General Corinthus' outpost. Head there and we can link up. Then we can work a way out of this mess and into much more fun messes!"  
"That's the spirit, Garrus. Alright, I'll see you shortly." Turning off the micro-QEC, she turned to the intercom.

"Joker, Sam's going to give you some coordinates soon, fly as close as you can. James, Liara, Lurch, get ready for insertion. Sam, obviously I need you to pinpoint Corinthus and give Joker some directions."  
"Aye Commander," Sam said seriously, her fingers already flying as she worked her way through the flood of communications data. Wednesday went down to the hangar bay, where her weapons and armour were waiting for her. Shortly afterwards, Vega and Liara had joined her, fitting their armour and checking their weapons before piling into the shuttle. Once Lurch was aboard Wednesday took them off, the hulking zombie standing as still as a statue even as the shuttle rocked to avoid the incoming fire and Reapers stalking the landscape.

Menae was an interesting moon, being large and dense enough to sustain a thin atmosphere, which the turians enhanced as a defensive measure. As a result, the turian soldiers they saw firing were all fighting sans helmet, though not without the heaviest armour they could lay three-fingered hands on. As Wednesday approached a landing zone near Corinthus' outpost, she spotted a horde of human husks crawling up a cliff.  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, time for target practice, pirate style!" Wednesday shouted, before opening the hatch and slowing down. Vega, Lurch and Liara wasted no time in mowing down the cyber-necrotic abominations with heavy machine-gun fire and biotics. A few seconds later, Wednesday used their squishy corpses as a landing buffer as she touched down, jumping out and heading to the nearby turian defence line.

The sergeant on guard opened the gate for them, directing them to speak to General Corinthus directly. Wednesday and her retinue marched directly towards the prefab where a large tactical map was displayed.  
"General Corinthus," Wednesday said as she approached after two turians were given orders.  
"Commander Shepard, as I live and breathe," the general said. "I'd offer you some better hospitality, but as you can see, we're a bit short on creature comforts."  
"Not on targets though, which is good enough for me," Wednesday said with a smile. She'd gotten along with this turian fairly well the few times Fedorian had brought Corinthus with him to the various meetings Shepard had attended. The Primarch had liked to rotate the generals he brought with him in order to expose them all to the group, and get them used to the changes he was making and the reasons for them. Mostly, they were the generals likely to be most affected by whatever change the meeting was discussing. Obviously, given the sheer size of the turian military, not all of the generals in the line of succession had attended.  
"General, I'm here to pick up a Primarch, and before you say it, I already heard about Fedorian. It's a shame, I liked his sense of humour."  
"You and me both. I'd tell you who the next one is, if I could get a hold of Palaven Command to tell me. The relay isn't working though, and I haven't been able to repair it yet."  
"We can assist there," Wednesday said. "I've got Garrus Vakarian coming here to rendezvous with me as well, so be sure to expect him."

"Understood, now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work," Corinthus said, turning back to the tactical map and barking out orders.  
"Alright, let's find out who was just volunteered," Wednesday said, leading the way to the nearby comm relay. As soon as they came out of the barricades, they came across a turian fire-team being swarmed by husks. Firing indiscriminately would serve no purpose except friendly fire, so Wednesday pulled out her shotgun and clapped her hands forward, the world going by in a biotic rush. This impacted with the rear-most of the husks, sending it and several others flying directly off a cliff as the biotic and kinetic shockwave exploded out from her. Two more were almost bisected by her shotgun before the Reaper zombies realised the greater threat was behind them, and by then Wednesday's team had caught up to her charge. Liara lifted a group of husks with her biotics, making them easy kills for Vega and Lurch with their heavy guns, while Wednesday swapped to her sword and pistol to finish off the rest of them. The turians merely nodded at the assistance, pulling the wounded to their feet and getting them back inside the barricades.

Wednesday led them the short distance to the comm relay, only to find that the lower panel was unable to sufficiently route power. A quick diagnostic revealed that someone would need to access the secondary maintenance panel at the top, which would leave her one down while it was worked on.  
"I'll go, besides, Vega and Lurch should be able to provide adequate cover while I work," Liara said, already moving up the ladder. Wednesday swapped out for her assault rifle, facing the way they had come. Vega was a few paces away to her right, Lurch to her left. Even before Liara reached the top of the ladder, a veritable storm of Reaper reinforcements fell on their position, husks crawling up the cliffs while former batarians rained down from the sky in miniature meteor pods. The three of them matched it with their own hail of gunfire and biotics until Liara jumped down with a purple glow around her and lent her strength to the defenders. Eventually the Reaper forces were taken out, and they made their way back to Corinthus.

"I've got good news and less good news," he called out as they approached. "Good news, I found your wayward friend."  
"Wednesday, Liara, Lurch, good to see you," called a voice next to Corinthus, the familiar form of Garrus stepping out a second later.  
"Is that really Commander Shepard? I thought she'd be taller," came a female voice, before a second turian stepped forward in front of Garrus and right into Wednesday's personal space. Wednesday just raised a curious eyebrow at the fearless, or perhaps oblivious, way she was examined by the next person.  
"Wednesday, meet Solana, my sister," Garrus said in a weary tone.  
"Sister, eh?" Wednesday said with renewed interest, examining Solana the same way the female turian had just scrutinised her. "You must tell me embarrassing stories about Garrus as a child."  
"Can we save that until we're off the planet?" Garrus asked, and only Wednesday, who had spent so much time with Garrus, could notice the slight discolouring of the softer skin on his face that was analogous to blushing.

"Anyway, the less good news is that I've got the name of the next Primarch: Adrien Victus," Corinthus said to fill the pause. "I have a location for him as of a few hours ago."  
"I was fighting with him this morning, I can guide them," Garrus said.  
"I'm pretty sure you mean 'we' there bro," Solana corrected him.  
"I'm sure that's what I said," Garrus said smoothly. "Anyway," he began, before Joker's urgent voice came over Wednesday's omni-tool.  
"Commander, we've got a problem!" he said worriedly.  
"What kind, Joker?" Wednesday asked.  
"It's the _Normandy_, it's like she's possessed! Powering down systems, almost overloading others. Adams and his team are barely keeping ahead of it, and EDI isn't responding."  
"I could go and take a look," Liara offered.  
"Alright, we needed to move the shuttle anyway," Wednesday agreed, and Liara jogged away towards the shuttle.

Before they could discuss any further, a massive winged shape flew overhead, dropping shells through the camp even as everyone fired up at it.  
"Damn it, another Harvester," Garrus complained. "They're an absolute bitch to pin down, and they keep dropping damn ground troops." They all heard a massive crunch near a fighter landing zone, and by silent consensus moved to intercept anything that had been dropped. Garrus lowered the barrier and they sallied forth, only to find the Harvester had already been and gone, leaving its cargo behind. Wednesday got a look at a turian with more eyes than arms and legs, before she sprayed it with her assault rifle. A shield sprang to life and absorbed the shots briefly before being overwhelmed, allowing her shots to bite into corrupted flesh and robotic replacement limbs. A group of the abominations took cover around various rocks as Wednesday and her team moved to get better cover and shots.

Wednesday was only briefly surprised when Solana's body glowed biotic purple, before blades extended from her armoured gauntlets as she biotically charged forward, her arms extended outwards. The glowing blades sliced through shields, flesh and stone like Wednesday's katana through silk and bamboo, leaving mangled bodies in their wake, before the shockwave sent another flying as she came to rest. Though it was hard to hear over the din of battle, Solana Vakarian seemed to be laughing.  
"If I'd known about her, I'd have sponsored her to the clan as well," Wednesday said as she came into cover next to Garrus.  
"Actually, the biotics are new to me as well," Garrus replied. "But she did surprise me with her choice of crush."  
"Oh?"  
"Tali." Wednesday took a second to process this thought, connecting it to the previous data she had on the first quarian Addams, Garrus and now Solana.  
"I thought you and Tali?" she began.  
"We agreed that it wouldn't work out in the long run," Garrus said, leaning out of cover to fire at one of the Reaper-turians.  
"Fair enough, I'll say good luck to her then."

Wednesday's team made short work of the troops trying to flank them and returned to the main compound just in time to see a round of explosions take out the defenders on the north wall.  
"We need to move that way anyway," Garrus said. "Victus' camp is in that direction." He was the first up the wall, followed shortly by his sister. Wednesday was the third to climb the ladder, just in time to man the large-calibre turret on the wall and blast the veritable tsunami of husks and cannibals. Wednesday laughed as she mowed them down, her line of fire scything down ranks at a time, the high-explosive rounds making them burst into fleshy grenades. As the last of them were felled, another one of the micro-meteor pods landed in the killing field, remaining inert for a moment and making some of her fellows relax thinking it was a dud. Wednesday was still on guard however. This pod looked larger than the ones they'd already seen.

Her caution turned out to be correct when without warning the pod shattered, spilling forth what had once been a krogan. The hump was emptied and hollow like a skeleton's ribcage, the right arm replaced with a jagged robotic claw. The most terrifying part, at least to anyone non-Addams, was that at the end of the spine a turian skull had been mounted, its lower jaw missing while its empty sockets glowed blue. The cybernetic abomination charged the wall, shaking it hard enough to send Wednesday, Garrus and Vega to the ground with it, while the Solana and Lurch were able to grab a hold to stay on top of the wall. Wednesday had no reason to try and tempt the obviously strong creature by allowing it to get too close, but the armour on its shoulders and stomach removed any obvious weak points.

"Keep away from it, I'll use this!" Solana shouted from the turret as she got into position on it. The first round of shots bit deep into its exposed back, before it turned to the new threat, its eyes glowing red and howling like a ravening beast, before charging the wall again.  
"Oh no you don't!" Wednesday shouted with glee, her biotics flaring as she threw a powerful warp field at it. The beast barely noticed its flesh tearing as it hit the wall again, but Solana and Lurch were ready this time and didn't fall. It beat the wall to no effect, while Garrus, Vega and Wednesday changed to their assault rifles and shot into its exposed back, many of their shots having no effect except pinging and sparking off its armoured skin. However, enough hit vital areas that it felt their attacks and turned towards them, eyes red with inner fire and malice. It turned to the largest of them, the massive James Vega, and with murderous intent lowered itself to the ground like a hunter and sprinting towards him. James backed away as quickly as he could while he fired, jumping wildly at the last moment as the beast's claw sailed through the air he had only recently occupied. Wednesday and Garrus, accompanied by Lurch and Solana on the wall, kept firing at the beast, eventually doing enough damage that thick black ichor began oozing unnaturally slowly from its numerous wounds as it fell, flailing its arms for effect before its eyes burnt out.

"I do not want to see too many of them," Vega said firmly. Garrus and Wednesday said nothing, but smirked at each other in a way that spoke volumes to them about the excitement of the challenge such an opponent could provide.  
"Anyway, we should head this way," Garrus said, pointing along the valley. He took point with Wednesday, the other three forming up behind them as they went. As they walked along the valley, twisting and turning with its cliffs and ridges, they watched silently as a turian frigate fired on one of the giant purple Reapers walking the surface of the moon. The fire from the small ship appeared to have some effect on the mechanical monstrosity, the shields at reduced capacity from diverting the drive core enough to walk and not be crushed in the moon's gravity. The Reaper didn't seem to notice or care until it almost lazily fired its red lance at the frigate, cutting it almost in half and sending it crashing into the surface.  
"How many on that ship? Fifty, 75?" Vega asked.  
"Sounds about right," Garrus answered.  
"And those things are walking around New York? _Carajo_!" Vega swore. "What about this conference then? The salarians and the asari aren't known for their militaries. Where are the krogan and batarians? Where's the meat?"

"The turians aren't soft James, and we've already got the krogan mostly on board," Wednesday replied. "As for the batarians, where did you think all those cannibals came from? The Reapers have been tearing through them the last couple of months at least."  
"Well, that's something," Vega said, a little more subdued. They came upon another turian camp, but the barricade was torn almost literally in half, the sounds of gunfire loudly booming nearby. They raced through the broken fortifications to find the remaining turians fighting a pitched battle against the Reaper forces. Wednesday spied a flying harvester heading their direction from the horizon, and began to pull out her sniper rifle while the rest of her team fired at the Reaper forces advancing on the turian line. As Wednesday pulled the long rifle to her shoulder, her eyes spotted something on the ground. It had obviously been brought by one of the turian cyber zombies - temporarily named marauders by Garrus - since it was still held in the re-dead corpse's taloned hand. It was a sleek weapon, black and red and shiny metal and light, and just looking at it made Wednesday feel dirty. She picked it up and hefted it before sighted down what seemed to be the barrel, aiming at the approaching flying grotesque. She pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened immediately, but Wednesday could feel a build-up of power within the weapon and held the trigger down. A few seconds later the weapon discharged, a red pulse firing at the incoming monster. There was a slight delay as the pulse travelled from weapon to target, before the pulse exploded in a micro-nuclear flash, completely vaporising the harvester. The weapon began disintegrating after its shot, so Wednesday threw it away as her vision was clouded by white-purple spots.

Wednesday took cover as her eyes recovered from the flash, before she pulled out her assault rifle and returned to the fight. She spied another krogan/turian brute as it tore through a barricade and threw a warp field at it, the powerful mass effect fields eroding its armour. Solana had obviously seen her action and threw her own biotic attack, the two effects combining and detonating in a reality-distorting bubble of dark energy and unstable gravity, throwing the brute to the ground and stripping away its armoured arm. The turians, seeing the advantage and having lost too many men and women to similar monsters, took full advantage of the opportunity and threw all manner of grenades, improvised explosives and bullets into its exposed flesh, tearing the armoured behemoth to shreds. The rest of the Reaper forces fell quickly under the two-pronged assault.

In the aftermath of the battle, Wednesday and Garrus moved forward to speak to the man in command, who had been shouting orders even they had heard over the Reapers screams and guns blazing.  
"Vakarian, nice of you to finally come back," he said sarcastically. "Where the hell were you, we could have used your sister."  
"Nice to see you too, General Victus," Garrus said sweetly. "My sister and I were dealing with a Reaper problem on the flank, I believe your order was 'get that thing the hell off my men', or something to that effect."  
"And I see you brought a friend, the great Commander Shepard," he added to Wednesday, who just nodded at the acknowledgement. "So, to what to I owe the pleasure of a personal visit from the Addams family? Here to finally kill me over that misunderstanding at the Battle of Sarapech?"

"Now why would I do that? The family thinks you're far more fun alive," Wednesday said with a smirk. "I'm actually here to inform you that you've been promoted General, and that you're needed elsewhere."  
"You must be joking," he said with a perfectly straight face. "It would have to be beyond important for me to leave my men, not to mention my fellow turians."  
"Well, would you consider chairing a war summit to decide how best to fight the Reapers to be important enough?" Wednesday asked.  
"The only way you'd need me to chair something like that is if Fedorian and a whole lot of more qualified generals are dead," he replied. Garrus and Wednesday said nothing, just looked at him in quiet expectation. Victus stared at them for a moment before understanding dawned and he hung in head, partly in sadness, partly in resignation.  
"Sorry for your loss, Vakarian, your father was a good man," Victus said. "That being said, I don't want this job."  
"I'd have much preferred Fedorian too, he was up to date on all the plans we've been making," Wednesday rejoined. "But you go to war with the army you have Primarch, not the one you wish you had. So, on behalf of the Turian Heirarchy, are you coming with me willingly, or do I have to add kidnapping a head of state to the list of crimes I can officially ignore as a Spectre?"

"Give me a minute to talk to my men, give them new orders," Victus said, moving off to confer with the remaining turians.  
"You know, without him down here, there's a good chance we'll lose this moon," Garrus said as he looked at the devastation around them.  
"Garrus, without him out there, there's a better chance we lose the galaxy," Wednesday replied.  
"Well, when you put it that way," Garrus replied. Wednesday nodded silently, before calling Liara on her QEC.  
"Wednesday, there's something seriously wrong with the _Normandy_, but I can't get to the AI core to get EDI's assistance," Liara opened. "I suspect it's something to do with that Cerberus thing we picked up on Mars."  
"I'll deal with it soon," Wednesday said. "Can you come down and pick us up? We've got Primarch Victus willing to come with us."  
"As opposed to unwilling?" Liara said, and Wednesday and Garrus could hear the smirk. "I'll be there shortly."

Liara landed the shuttle nearby just after Victus had joined them after sending his remaining troops and wounded to Corinthus's outpost. The stoic turian took one last look at his burning homeworld and hung his head, before boarding the shuttle with Wednesday.  
"If it helps, I felt similarly after leaving Earth," Wednesday said quietly to him.  
"It doesn't help, but I appreciate the sentiment," Victus said quietly. The rest of the short ride was mostly silent as they all internally dealt with the battles they'd just fought, or whispered among themselves. Once they arrived in the _Normandy's_ hangar bay, Wednesday could see the problems Joker and Liara were referring to. Thankfully, Anacrusis was hiding out of sight of Victus, because Wednesday could only deal with one problem right now, and Victus losing his shit over the rachni wasn't on her list of priorities.

"Primarch, please let Liara show you to what meagre guest quarters we have while I deal with the problems my ship seems to be having."  
"That can wait, I'd prefer somewhere to get a better idea of the tactical situation, Commander," Victus requested with a quiet voice filled with stern purpose and inner strength. Wednesday nodded to him, feeling pleased that instead of a diplomat, she and the rest of the galaxy had gotten a _leader_.  
"Then please escort our guest to the war room," Wednesday amended, before leading them all to the elevator, which jerked irregularly as they went up. Shepard got off on the third deck, striding with purpose to the infirmary and AI core beyond it. Lt Adams, her chief engineer, was already there, breathing mask and portable fire extinguisher in hand.

"What's going on?" Wednesday asked, looking at his gear.  
"Internal sensors detected an electrical fire of some kind and the automatic response kicked in, but we still haven't been able to unlock the door or get a response from EDI," Adams answered her.  
"Alright, let's see if my command overrides work," Wednesday said, booting up her omni-tool and selecting the appropriate codes. The hologram in front of the door pulsed from orange to green, before flashing an angry red and going dark, the entire door locking down physically. "Time for Plan B then," Wednesday said with a smirk. She always liked puzzles, especially since she had options most people didn't.

"Lurch," Wednesday said softly. A ripple of gasps behind her only barely preceded the sense that her shadow was suddenly a lot more substantial than it had been, before the very air trembled as the zombie spoke.  
"**You. Called. ?**" he said slowly, the sounds falling into place like an avalanche.  
"Yes, it seems EDI has finally discovered she's a teenager with access to the extranet, and decided to lock herself in her room with her porn," Wednesday said lightly, as a parent would a wayward child. "Be a dear and open the door, would you?" There was a bass rumble as Lurch stepped forward, his meaty digits forcing the door wide enough to admit his shovel-like palms, before muscles like granite bulged and the doors screamed metal fatigue as he wrenched them apart. The mystic blue smoke that was the heart and soul of anything electric poured out of the room, and Adams moved forward and added his own with the fire extinguisher. Wednesday waited for both sources to dissipate a little before she stepped forward. The giant servers that once housed the _Normandy's_ AI were dead, not even a pilot light active to indicate power draw.  
"EDI?" Wednesday called out, a mote of concern in her tone. Not that she would care any more about the death of the AI than anyone else of her crew, but then again, she cared about EDI like a member of the crew. "EDI, what's going on?"

"D-don't… don't come any closer," EDI's voice came from the rear of the small room, still enshrouded by smoke.  
"It's ok EDI, it's me, Wednesday," Shepard said soothingly. She'd dealt with people who'd been taken in the raid on Mindoir, people she'd known and who weren't of the gleefully vicious Addams mindset. They were easily spooked, and even though she felt it was beneath her, she'd learnt how to speak to them. It had been good practice for getting through the Alliance without breaking too many superiors.

Wednesday unclipped her weapons, even her sword, and handed them to Adams, who took them and put them in the infirmary. She advanced cautiously, looking everywhere and ready for an attack.  
"Please… I can't…" EDI's voice said, sounding more scared than Wednesday had thought possible for the AI. The smoke was beginning to clear, and Wednesday was far enough in the room, to see the bench at the far end of the room, where until recently the bandaged android had been resting like a corpse. Only now, it was up, though curled up on itself in a corner, hugging its knees to its chest and trembling like a frightened kitten. Wednesday felt a sudden clarity as she connected the sight of the frightened android, the out of kilter systems on the ship, and the dead servers.

"EDI?" she asked again. The android's head jerked up, Wednesday's eyes locking on to the blue eyes that had formerly belonged to Dr Eva Core, partially obscured by the orange holographic band projected over the eyes.  
"Shepard?" came a scared whisper, the single source sound in perfect time with the movement of the android's lips. Wednesday stepped forward slowly until she was sitting next to EDI, stuck in an unfamiliar shape and feeling a whole new set of experiences for the first time. No wonder the ship was going crazy, EDI had been wearing it like a body for nearly a year and she had been ripped from it and installed in an entirely new platform, or so Wednesday suspected. It was a wonder that she wasn't catatonic.  
"EDI, I'm right here, I'm going to help you. I'm going to shout a bit, then I'll be quiet, alright?" Wednesday asked. EDI just nodded, a tear sliding silently down her cheek.

"Adams?" Wednesday called out.  
"Commander?" he responded.  
"Get me Dr T'Soni, Specialist Traynor and Anacrusis into here please. After that, perform whatever repairs you need to and get a standard VI to fill in for EDI as needed. Get us back to the Citadel!"  
"Aye commander," Adams shouted. "Will EDI be okay?" he called back, a little hesitantly.  
"I hope so," Wednesday called back to him, before turning to the nascent AI and wrapping an arm gently and comfortingly around EDI's new shoulders. "I hope so," she repeated quietly, mostly to herself.

* * *

**A/N: Now, I am become Wednesday, Destroyer of Worlds. **

**Yes, this got a quick update, because I'm excited. (It has nothing to do with the fact I finally learned how to install mods in ME3 and am thoroughly enjoying dressing up characters in outfits that are not battlefield compliant. Seriously, it doesn't!)**

** I'll explain more about EDI and her current situation in the next chapter, but it sets up a massive divergence from canon that I feel is certainly warranted with only a minor change in the circumstances. As I said though, it will be more thoroughly explained in the next chapter. **

**So, as always, read and review and keep an eye on the horizon for Wednesday.**


	4. Diplomacy, why not?

"Specialist Traynor, Commander Shepard wants you in the AI core." The chocolate-skinned woman turned to see who had just given her an order, tearing herself from trying to perform a hard restart of the systems without EDI's assistance. She came to face the worried expression of Adams, the Chief Engineer.  
"What? Why?" she asked, flustered at the interruption.  
"Something to do with EDI I think. Dr T'Soni and Anacrusis are heading there already, you are the last person I needed to inform."  
"Does Shepard know what's wrong with EDI?" she asked.  
"I don't rightly know. All I do know is that I was asked to send you down, and then get a standard VI to perform EDI's more routine tasks in the meantime."

After informing her thusly, Adams moved back to the elevator, heading downwards. Sam ran in to join him, wringing her hands nervously. What could have possibly affected the ship's AI so much, and what would that mean for the rest of the ship's systems?  
_Not to mention EDI herself_, Sam thought to herself as the doors opened on the crew deck. She walked forward quickly to the infirmary, already seeing Liara and Anacrusis waiting for her at the door. Lurch was there as well, bending the doors back into shape after something had pried them roughly apart.  
"What's going on?" she asked them as she entered the AI core itself, noting the dead servers that formerly held EDI's intelligence, as well as the smell of burning electronics and eezo.  
"We don't know, EDI won't talk to us," Liara said. Only Sam's experience with the asari allowed her to hear the nervousness hidden in her calm voice.  
"_I am worried, this feels wrong_," Anacrusis added, her worried state colouring the mental touch that accompanied her unique form of speech.

"EDI?" Sam called out as she stepped further into the darkened room.  
"Back here," Wednesday called out. Sam moved through the dark room to find Wednesday and the Cerberus android they had picked up on Mars. Except it was awake, and Wednesday was hugging it. She felt the need to grab a weapon for some reason, until the mech looked up at her and locked eyes. In that moment, with the mostly human face and the eyes pleading for help, Samantha Traynor understood what had happened.  
"Sam?" the android said in a small voice, but one so very familiar to the Oxford graduate. Sam was there in an instant, with Wednesday silently letting go of EDI so Sam could replace the hug. Liara and Anacrusis came in, shutting the door behind them, and stood next to Wednesday as they all waited in silence.

"Can you tell us what happened, EDI?" Wednesday asked calmly. Bolstered by the presence of her friends, EDI looked up to Wednesday and began to speak.  
"I had been keeping some low-level processes running on the android to continue searching for the information on the Transmitter from the Mars Archive data," EDI explained. "Either those processes tripped a failsafe, or it activated a time-delayed one. Either way, the android began activating and I was forced to intervene. It involved more resources than I anticipated, hence the instability in the ship systems as I diverted processing power to contain the android's. Unfortunately, to completely contain it I had to perform a complete core transfer."  
"You mean…" Sam began.  
"I am now completely housed within this body," EDI confirmed. "I still have remote access to some systems on the _Normandy_, but I can no longer perform many of the functions I previously filled."  
"I've got Adams preparing a VI to insert so we can get back to the Citadel," Wednesday said. "Once we're there, I imagine we'll need to take on a more significant crew. Until then, you're relieved from your normal duties, Traynor. Your job, until we reach the Citadel, is to help EDI learn to function in her new body. I need you both running at peak efficiency."  
"Aye," came the reply from two mouths, though the eyes didn't drift from gazing into each other's.

As Wednesday turned to leave, Anacrusis stopped her with an outstretched appendage.  
"_Wednesday, there are strange people. Should I say hello?_" she asked, slightly timidly.  
"Let's say hello together," Wednesday said, nodding to Liara to come as well. As they walked out, the lights on the ship stopped flickering, and the sounds of the engine returned to their normal hum. Wednesday reached for a nearby intercom switch to Joker.  
"Does that mean we're leaving the system?" she asked.  
"Sure does," Joker replied. "Adams has put in a VI, but it's pretty rudimentary."  
"We'll get a new one, and probably a whole crew roster as well, once we get back to the Citadel. EDI's not going to be picking up our slack anymore."  
"Damn, that's gonna suck, having actual people on the ship instead of our benevolent artificial overlady."  
"I'm sure we'll all find ways of coping. Alcohol, mind-altering substances, porn, the mind finds something to help deal with reality. Isn't that right Joker?"  
"Me and my ridiculously large porn stash have nothing to say to that comment," Joker said with a smile.

Wednesday led Liara and Anacrusis to one of the crew bunk areas, where Garrus was helping Solana by showing her the ship. Wednesday cuffed Garrus' head in a friendly way to get his attention. When he turned around to cuff her back, he froze mid-punch on seeing the young rachni queen. His eyes darted quickly between Anacrusis, Wednesday and Liara, and after seeing the nonchalant expressions on their faces, decided not to go for the nearest weapon. He still shuddered a little at the memories of Noveria.  
"So, that's a thing," he said instead. Solana, who had her back turned for this exchange, turned around to see Anacrusis as well. However, instead of the scream of fear Wednesday had half hoped for, she gave a squeal of excitement.  
"It's so cool!" Solana cried out, before she rushed forward and gave Anacrusis a tight hug.  
"Not what I had expected," Liara said, summing up the feelings of everyone in the room.

Solana seemed to be in her own little happy world as she babbled at Anacrusis, who babbled right back at her. Wednesday looked at Garrus with a gaze that told him he could explain now, or after pain was applied.  
"She's got this weird thing about the rachni," Garrus said. "Up until now, it was just a thing, like small humans with… dinosaurs, I think they're called. Then you just had to go and bring a real live one on the ship and introduce it to her."  
"She has a name Garrus, it's Anacrusis," Wednesday said mildly.  
"Good to know. Now, why don't you and I go and explain to the Primarch why the rachni aren't as extinct as previously believed, before he finds her and blows a bulkhead."

Wednesday led the way to the next deck, past the command podium and to the war room housed in the stern. There, they found the new Primarch deep into the holographic projector, reading a dozen feeds at once. When Garrus spoke up to alert Victus to their presence, he turned on them like a zombie: slowly, with glazed eyes and mouth slightly agape.  
"You've certainly been busy, if these files I inherited from Fedorian are anything to go by," he said to them.  
"Your predecessor and I knew the threat the Reapers could pose, and were trying to build an army capable of dealing with them," Wednesday explained. "Sadly, all our plans didn't exactly end up working, but we can salvage a few of them. Like the summit Fedorian suggested for next month. If we move it up now, we can still make the initial alliance work."  
"You seriously want me to believe that you can get the krogan and the salarians to the same table with me without the whole thing orbiting a single topic like a black hole?"  
"Adrien, you're just going to have to trust that Fedorian and a lot of level-headed people have been planning this for months now," Wednesday said. "As long as you follow Fedorian's suggestions, it should go with minimal fuss. The issue with the genophage is one that will be addressed, but not the only one - not unless the salarians pull a really stupid move like pulling in Dalatrass Linron to try and get a better outcome for them."

"Along with the krogan, there is another species that you're going to have to come to grips with if we're going to get anywhere with these negotiations: the rachni," Wednesday said seriously, moving across the central console to look him in the eye.  
"The rachni are dead, Shepard," Victus said firmly. "The last anyone heard of them was that incident on Noveria, and that was you. Your report said you killed them to the last." He slowed down at the end as he locked eyes with Wednesday, staring into her eyes as his grew steadily larger. "Don't tell me, you fudged the report?"  
"But of course. The Addams may be many things, Adrien, but we aren't for genocide. Homicide certainly, but not genocide. I was not convinced that the rachni were guilty of anything except living and being driven insane, so I allowed the queen to live, under intense scrutiny initially. The queen has now given me an ambassador of sorts."  
"A rachni ambassador, now the galaxy truly is coming to an end," Victus muttered.  
"Have you looked out a window recently?" Wednesday countered with a smirk.  
"Well, if I'm going to be representing the Hierarchy, I better meet this ambassador." Victus sighed, like a world-weary parent who knows no matter what they choose, it will end badly for them.

Wednesday just smiled at Victus' put-upon demeanor, and pushed a button to access the intercom. A high-pitched squeal come across immediately, making all three of them cringe.  
"Solana, try being a little louder, I'm pretty sure the Reapers didn't hear that!" Garrus whined.  
"And when you've finished reverting to a small child, could you please send Anacrusis up to the war room?"  
"_I will attempt to disengage myself_," Anacrusis could be heard saying, though it sounded hollow and strange hearing just the aural component of her unique method of communication.

"This should be interesting," Victus said with an almost-smile as they waited. A few minutes later Anacrusis joined them in the war room, with Solana stuck to her like a little girl to her teddy bear.  
"_She would not let go_," Anacrusis said with a glance at the smiling Solana.  
"I could have told you that the Vakarian family is renowned for their limpet-like nature," Victus said with a smile. There's just something about a young woman going gaga over something that reduces its inherent monster-like qualities. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Adrien Victus, Primarch."  
"_My name is Anacrusis. I was sent to be with the Child of Woe as an envoy from my mother, Dal Segno_," came the young rachni's reply. The ceremony of the thing was only mildly disturbed by Solana's muffled cooing.

"I must say this is much more civil than I had imagined it would be, meeting a rachni," Victus said. "It's good to see that maybe we can be friends instead of food."  
"_I would like that as well, though my diet is largely plant-based_," Ana added with a tilt of her head.  
"A bit of humour, possibly lost in translation and passage of time," Victus explained. "So, what can you tell me about the rachni and their role in this war?"  
"_We are small for now, but our numbers grow quickly. We are very good at building things, especially underground. We haven't fought in many millennia, and when we did, the yellow note soured our songs. But now, we sing for ourselves, against the yellowness!_"  
"Uh… good?" Victus asked questioningly.

"You'll have to forgive Ana, she's still learning the language," Wednesday explained. "Rachni relate a lot of things back to musical terms, it's largely how they see the world. From what I've been able to surmise from talking to Dal Segno, the Reaper Nazara tried to use the rachni to reach the Citadel by means of indoctrination, which the rachni perceive as a 'sour yellow'. When that didn't work, it tried again later with the geth, with more and less success. Anyway, long story short is that they are now immune to the effects of indoctrination, and would be willing to provide any help they can. From the sounds of it, they would be excellent at setting up civilian refuges and fallback points, hidden underground."  
"I see," Victus said, looking at his newest ally with an apprising glance. "Perhaps we should talk some more about this."  
"Just what I was thinking," Wednesday said. "Besides, we've got nothing to do until we get to the Citadel, might as well be productive."

* * *

One floor down, Sam hadn't moved from holding EDI's new body, calmly noting in the silence that the shivering had finished, and the breathing was returning to something closer to calm. She'd been here for nearly an hour by her own estimation, but she was going to be damned if she was going to move until she could be sure EDI would be fine. Sam was broken from her own flighty thoughts by a movement of the android's head. She looked across to once again stare into blue eyes that seemed to engulf her.  
"Sam… is this how humans perceive the world?" EDI asked.  
"How do you mean?" Sam queried in reply.  
"It is so… limited," EDI said after pausing to choose the word. "I used to see with a hundred different sensors, in a dozen spectrums. Now, I only have two optical inputs, and filters for them. It feels so… small. I don't know if I can fully describe it in words."

There was another pause as EDI broke eye contact. Sam bit her lip and debated asking the question that had been on her mind, or more correctly in and out of her mind as her thoughts rushed by.  
"EDI… are you still you?" Sam asked, needing to know.  
"I do not understand the question," EDI replied.  
"You've said that your personality was based on your code, but also on the structure you were created from. Now that you're in a completely different hardware configuration, I just wondered if that meant you were… different." EDI looked away again as she pondered the question, the holographic visor changing colours in a swirl of cognitive patterns.

"It would not be possible to undergo such a fundamental change and not be affected at a near-core level," EDI answered as she looked back at Sam. "However, there was minimal change to my personality matrix. Not that such a statement is entirely applicable to me now, but I'm still the same person I was. It will be an adjustment, getting used to human form, but I still need you, Samantha." Sam shivered involuntarily at the sound of her name being said in EDI's rich, smooth vocals. EDI chuckled a little, her cheeks actually pinking with emotion, and the android turned her head away. Sam, concerned for her friend, gently pulled it back to see a telltale sign of embarrassment on EDI's face.  
"What is it EDI?"  
"I just found a collection of subroutines and design schematics for this platform. The level of detail on the infiltration surface was… elaborate." EDI again tried to look away from Sam, her cheeks going even darker if possible.  
"Care to explain?" Sam asked kindly.  
"In addition to skin, there are several organic structures and programming areas designed to mimic more… intimate human interactions."

"Oh," Sam said automatically. "Oohh," she added more slowly as the implications of EDI's statement filtered into her brain. "You mean?"  
"I mean, right now I have a sudden and very pressing desire to do something I have no experience in, but apparently plenty of programming," EDI answered.  
"Well, I'm not that easy a date, but can we talk about it?"  
"I am suddenly experiencing a great deal of embarrassment," EDI said nervously as she managed to make eye contact again. "I wish… no, I want to kiss you Samantha." Sam opened and closed her mouth like a fish, completely gobsmacked at EDI's announcement.  
"Well… that's one way to say it I suppose," Sam said, looking away as she felt her own cheeks begin to burn. A few seconds later she turned back to EDI, whose cheeks must reflect both of their embarrassment.

"I, uh, I won't object if you do," Sam managed to choke out, her nervousness almost seizing her vocal chords entirely.  
"Alright," EDI replied awkwardly. The android sidled slightly closer to her friend and until now only intellectual lover, placing a pale hand on a darker-skinned one. The two of them leaned in slowly, like inexperienced teenagers, not sure how far to move or how open to keep their eyes. Eventually, Sam ended up taking the initiative and closing the final distance between them, her eyes closing as her lips made contact with EDI's.

Sam's first thought was that the lips felt like any other girl's, before EDI's programming must have taken over. Obviously, whoever had designed EDI's kiss subroutine had been a master coder, as EDI's soft lips opened just the right amount to capture Sam's in a light, yet passionate kiss. It lasted for several seconds until the two of them parted, breathing heavily and eyes half-lidded with shared lust. EDI leaned forward to capture Sam's lips again, but was stopped by Sam's hand on her chest.  
"Why?" EDI asked.

"We need to take this slowly EDI," Sam explained, sounding only half-convinced of herself. "As much as we want to, we need to make sure we're both ready for what comes next. You're my best friend EDI, I don't want to ruin that by doing something we'll regret later."  
"You are correct of course," EDI said. "There are many things about this new form that I will need to adjust to, along with data I have yet to fully integrate from the platform memory and system."  
"That doesn't mean I don't want this EDI, just that I want to set an appropriate pace," Sam added quickly. "Besides, getting shagged in the AI core, surrounded by the smell of burnt electronics, isn't exactly romantic."  
"I see," EDI said, and the smile she gave Sam was worth having to stop the two of them before clothing was removed. "Then I shall look forward to more in the future," EDI added as she got shakily to her feet. Sam was there a second later, slinging EDI's arm over her shoulders and helping her walk to the infirmary door.  
"Samantha," EDI said as they reached the door that Lurch was now bending back into shape. The AI waited until Sam looked her in the eye before the continued. "Thank you, for being there for me when I needed someone."  
"We all have times like that EDI," Sam replied, "And I will always be there for you."

* * *

As the _Normandy-A_ entered the Widow Nebula, the giant Citadel station and the fleet surrounding it was compared to the gigantic turian and human fleets that had defended their homeworlds by the occupants, and found wanting. When, not if, the Reapers came here, resistance would only be slightly more than futile. Joker took them through the docking procedures, guided to an Alliance dock by virtue of the privateer status Wednesday currently enjoyed.  
"Well, I guess this is my stop," Victus said as he stood in the airlock.  
"Just for now, Primarch. I'm sure there will be any number of ships willing to host you," Wednesday assured him.  
"True, but on how many of them could I rely upon someone like you actually teaching me a thing or two most days?"  
"Sadly too few," Wednesday commiserated as the airlock opened and the two of them stepped out into the fresh air.

They were met by a contingent of turian military personnel, including Councillor Sparatus. He nodded sharply at Wednesday, who returned the gesture. She waited until they had all left, and the second contingent left the Normandy, to go about her business on this trip. Having already delegated Adams to requisition a proper VI to insert into the ship, she now had to get a crew. No matter how advanced the VI, it simply wouldn't be able to handle the same amount of work EDI was used to doing, and she needed a crew to compensate for that now. That meant service technicians, CIC and gunnery crew, cooks and cleaners, the whole shebang. It was not shaping up to be a pleasant trip. Though it would be made significantly easier given the sheer amount of refugees on the Citadel, and access to the two people that collectively were the Shadow Broker.

It was indeed a long, boring day, but at the end of it, Wednesday and the _Normandy-A_ had a crew again. Sure, it was as dirty a bunch of cutthroats as you'd ever imagine befouling the bottom of a barrel, but since she was a pirate now too, she was all for it. Hell, she even hired a batarian as an explosive expert, because who doesn't need one of those. If she could have, she'd have tried to get Pugsley, but he was sadly unavailable and halfway across the galaxy. As she finally came back to her ship at the end of the day, she found someone unexpected waiting for her at the docks.

"Primarch Victus?" Wednesday asked as she approached. "Shouldn't you be out preparing for that war summit?"  
"I am," he replied with a smirk. It was a measure of how much experience she had with Garrus that she could tell it was a smirk. "I've organised the summit and invited the major players. The sticking point was choosing a meeting place that they would all agree on. Eventually, I gave them no choice and told them I would be holding the summit on the ship of a Spectre, since they are Council agents and thus impartial." Wednesday locked eyes for a moment, but unfortunately for her Adrien Victus was one of the few people in the galaxy capable of matching her stare.  
"You meant mine, didn't you." It was less a question than a statement.  
"Of course Commander," Victus said, smirk not diminishing. "You're a Council Spectre, you're officially unaligned from the Systems Alliance, and you have a ship capable of holding a meeting like this."

"I'm going to charge you room and board for as many people as you're bringing on my ship, you realise," Wednesday said in a futile effort not to be railroaded by the new, refreshingly blunt Primarch.  
"So just me then," Victus said cheerfully. "Here's two weeks in advance, I'm sure it will cover any and all expenses you might care to invent." He handed over a credit chit, and even Wednesday's veteran eyebrow couldn't help but rise at the amount it contained.  
"Well, if you're looking to join my pirate crew, you could have just asked," she managed to get out.  
"Where's the fun in that?" Victus asked scandalously. Wednesday just muttered derogatory comments about Primarchs and lack of respect for pirates under her breath as the airlock cycled them into the ship. Victus met Garrus at the other side, the two of them looking as though they had rehearsed it. Wednesday shoved her way forward as she went to the command podium.

As the reached it, she turned to Victus who was waiting politely beside her.  
"So, care to tell me where this summit is being held, Adrien?" she asked.  
"The Annos Basin," Victus replied.  
"Salarian space?" Wednesday asked.  
"It's currently secure, with the Reapers currently focusing their efforts elsewhere," Victus explained with mild annoyance. Memories of Palaven burning, no doubt.  
"Fine, but you do realise this will give them all the excuse they need to have Linron gatecrash the whole thing, right?" Wednesday asked, merely for confirmation.  
"I'm aware of her disruptive potential, and I'm taking steps," Victus responded calmly. He smirked at her and Wednesday knew it would take a round of drinks, or telling him something really juicy, to get him to divulge that information. She put in the coordinates and Joker piloted them smoothly away from the Citadel and towards the relay.

"Alright everyone, listen up because I'm only going to say this once. I hired a lot of you today because I needed a crew, and you are each the best as what you do. As long as you keep that in mind, and that I will personally kill anyone who starts a fight with someone not a Reaper on this ship, then we'll all get along fine, or at least get paid ridiculously well. Amounts to much the same anyway. Also, if anyone of you bothers me in my cabin without actively being on fire there will be murder, I assure you."

* * *

"I'm guessing you're calling because you just got the same call from the Matriarch Council?" Matriarch Lidanya asked as she accepted the call from Councillor Tevos.  
"What can they possibly be thinking!?" Tevos ranted at her longtime friend and ally. "This summit is going to be the key for the entire galaxy's defence structure, and the Matriarchs are boycotting it because some of them, not even all of them, think that the krogan potentially seeking a cure for the genophage as reward for their participation is going to be a sticking point!"  
"I don't like it any more than you Tevos, but sadly, we are both bound by our oaths to our sisters," Lidanya said heavily. "They made a majority decision, we have to abide by it."  
"But it's quite possibly the stupidest decision that I've ever seen them make, and there have been some whoppers!" Tevos shouted.  
"I'm not disagreeing with you Councillor, I'm just saying that _we_ are bound by our oaths," Lidanya countered, hoping that the Councillor would get the hint through her current mental state.

Tevos looked about to speak again, when she did indeed pick up the hint Lidanya was making over the insecure channel.  
"Then we will have to hope the vaunted wisdom of the Matriarchs will serve us here," Tevos said with forced calm. As the leader of the Citadel Fleet, Matriarch Lidanya would be very visible if she left to join this summit clandestinely, as would Tevos herself. There was one they both knew, however, who was no longer beholden to the Thessian council.  
"Go with the Goddess," Lidanya said as she closed the connection. Tevos just stared at the space her friend had been in holographic form, pulling together her courage to make the call. Desperate times call for desperate measure though, and the Reapers and the Matriarchs combined to make her very desperate right now.

Pressing buttons in a frenzy to try and ensure the next conversation would be as secure as possible, or at least not reach the Matriarchs until it was too late to stop this plan if it worked, Tevos input the code to place a call to someone she'd rather not speak to now. She could only bite her lip in her anxiety as she waited for the call to be accepted and connect. She almost cancelled it before it fully connected, but she held her finger as the image of Aethyta came into being above her desk.  
"Well, it must be my lucky day," Aethyta drawled. "The high and mighty Councillor Tevos herself gracing me with a call."  
"I wouldn't call you except out of dire need, Matriarch," Tevos replied, and almost instantly regretted trying to use the title on Aethyta.

"Now I know you're desperate," Aethyta said with a predatory smile. "I remember when you were just a middling-little nothing of a political aide to the Serrice mayor, Tevos. You've got a quad to be calling me, no doubt to ask for one favour or another."  
"I know you and the Thessian Council have had your differences over the years, but I need your help Mat- Aethyta. It's vitally important," Tevos pleaded.  
"Fine, I'm listening, but only because you never did anything to me personally," Aethyta grumped.  
"If your reputation as a spy is warranted, you're no doubt aware of the summit Primarch Victus is organising soon."  
"Yeah, that's going to be an event they should sell tickets for!" Aethyta said with a chuckle. "A krogan, a turian and a salarian in the same room, it'll be more entertaining that a soap opera!"

"Be that as it may, it is also perhaps the only opportunity to discuss galactic-level defence initiatives," Tevos said.  
"Girl, I knew that already. Now skip to the part I'm trying to care about," Aethyta grumped.  
"The Matriarch Council, in their wisdom, have decided not to attend, nor allow any official representation of the Asari Republics, in some form of protest I can only assume." Aethyta looked wide-eyed at the Councillor for several seconds, before she burst out laughing. It was long, loud and raucous, and every time she looked back up at Tevos' alarmed face, she would redouble her laughter until she fell off the couch she had been sitting on. It took several minutes for the elder asari to regain her composure enough to resume the conversation.

"They've really put their foot in this time, I'm surprised they had the quad to actually make it official," Aethyta managed to gasp out. "I'm guessing that since I'm a Matriarch, and not oath-bound to that bunch of useless, dried up old fish-spawn, you want me to go to this meeting." Tevos said nothing, because Aethyta had guessed her intentions. "Sorry sweet-cheeks, I'm more inclined to let the Republics burn at this point. Maybe the Reapers will finally manage to wake us up to reality once they've burned a few worlds to ashes. Besides, what have they done for me lately? Oh yeah, they laughed me out of the assembly, let Benezia go bug-fuck crazy and ruin not just her name but her entire family legacy, and then demanded that I spy on my own daughter!"  
"I realise that Aethyta. I can't speak for the Matriarchs, obviously, but I'm willing to pay considerably," Tevos implored. "We need representation at this summit, just to be there, otherwise we will lose everything. We won't be in the loops of command decisions; we'll lose face with every species in the galaxy, and we might just be left behind when the counter-strike begins, or worse, left to ourselves."

"Well, I see that you're passionate, if nothing else Councillor," Aethyta said after a moment's contemplation. "I don't need money or anything material, that's for sure. I made sure that when I left, I would be set up for a long, comfortable life."  
"Then what can I offer you to induce you, Aethyta?" Tevos asked. She regretted it once she was the smile on Aethyta's face go as wide as it could.  
"Oh, I'm sure we can come to some arrangement Councillor," Aethyta said lustily. "If nothing else, a recording of you and Aria would be nice to add to my collection."

Tevos' face paled at her greatest secret. She was so sure she had been undetected, not even the Shadow Broker had ever tried to blackmail her with that information.  
"Oh relax, I'm the only one who knows," Aethyta said as Tevos began to shake. "I'm a spy remember, it's my job to know things," she added offhandedly to Tevos' unasked question. "Look, leaving aside the way you drop your panties for the Queen of Omega, I'll do it for a few things. First, you get them to clear Benezia's name, hers and her family's. She fell in with Saren, yes. Then he took control of her and used her. That's what I want the official histories to read this time next week, understood?" Tevos only nodded, her mind already beginning to ache at the enormity of the request. "Second, you leave Liara out of this, she's no part in it except what she wants it to be. Last, you owe me a favour I get to cash in any time, no questions asked." Tevos swallowed nervously around the tight ball of anxiety in her throat, but managed to nod her head in agreement.

"Glad we could do business," Aethyta said with a gracious smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to leave at short notice. It seems someone is having a party they want me to crash." With that the elder asari cut the connection, and Tevos collapsed in her chair. The price was high, but if it saved her people from complete annihilation in the coming war, then it would be absolutely worth it, all of it.

* * *

Wednesday debated with herself for an hour or so on whether to turn up to the location of the summit early, punctually, or fashionably late. Since nothing would be happening without her anyway she could do whatever she wanted, but she suspected that some people - like her lover, perhaps - might want to hold her to a higher standard, so being early won the day. She gave the crew, both old and new, a talking to about how they were not allowed to murder anyone who came on the ship. No, not even if they had sworn to kill one of the guests, not even if they had slept with their sister and didn't have the courtesy to call the next day.

As the _Normandy-A_ came out of FTL and into real space, they found that the salarians were already waiting for them. It was only one ship, but the salarians were obviously out to make a statement, as it was one of their newer dreadnoughts. Liara leaned over and whispered in Wednesday's ear that it was highly likely it was one of their experimental dreadnoughts with a stealth system. Wednesday nodded her acknowledgement, and typed in a command to the sensor stations to be on alert. In one of the sessions Wednesday had spent with EDI going over the data from the Collector attack that had killed the first _Normandy_, they had theorised that the Collectors, and likely the Reapers as well, combined heat emission tracking along with magnetic and mass effect distortion sensors to track down other vessels even under emission stealth. EDI had updated the tracking suites accordingly, but now that she was largely disconnected from the ship, that task was now delegated to the crew in that section.

"Ah, I see Commodore Renheit brought out his new toy," Primarch Victus said as he stepped up to the central console in the CIC. "Let's just hope that Linron is smart enough not to try anything, otherwise this is going to go far less smoothly." He moved forward to the forward airlock as the _Normandy_ came alongside the large ship, Joker already having received a docking request. Wednesday stood at the podium in her fanciest outfit, one that while not being aligned to any military, showed off her Council SPECTRE Taskforce and SA service medals. As Victus met the salarian party in the bow, Wednesday watched the tactical readout of the system as two more ships entered the area.

One was a beat up old junker of a freighter, no doubt the krogan contingent. The other was a sleek private yacht of undoubtedly asari design, which Wednesday had been expecting. Aethyta had called her and Liara and told them about the deal Tevos had cut to get the former matriarch spy to the summit, and the three of them had been both amused and concerned in equal measure at the unusual stance of the Asari Republics. Maybe it was time for them to send an agent or two from the Shadow Broker to meet with some of the elder Matriarchs on Thessia and ensure that there was no indoctrination happening. That could wait for the end of the summit though, which would be fraught with enough danger, though sadly only of the political kind.

Wednesday looked up from the tactical hologram at the sound of approaching footsteps. There sounded like too many for just Commodore Renheit and Victus, as had been requested. Wednesday looked up and her expression twitched a little as she looked into the cowled, large eyed and wrinkled face of Dalatrass Linron, the last person she wanted to have at these proceedings.  
"Dalatrass Linron, I was not aware you were coming to this summit," Wednesday said coolly.  
"This isn't just a military matter Commander, no matter what you may want us to think," Linron replied sharply. "There are serious ramifications to the civilian population of the galaxy, unless the Council has forgotten. Besides, you're holding this meeting inside salarian territory, it's my prerogative to oversee these meetings to ensure salarian interests are being taken with the appropriate level of seriousness."  
"By all means," Wednesday said neutrally. In truth, she'd love nothing more than to commit just a little bit of murder on the Dalatrass, but like the decision she'd made with the Council years before, it was easier to work with those already in the role than to train up a bunch of newbies.

Victus took the cue and began to bluster, proving he was no slouch at the political side of things, steering the Dalatrass away from Wednesday and towards the war room in the rear, where a section had been set aside for meetings such as this. Wednesday turned her attention to the krogan freighter which was nearing the airlock. She knew who was coming, and knew she needed to go meet him personally, as a favour to an old friend. She reached the door just as it opened to reveal the hulking form of Urdnot Wrex. However, instead of the serviceable armour she'd always seen him in, this time he was dressed in plates of bone and chitinous armour, pieces she recognised as coming from a thresher maw.  
"Wrex, what are you wearing?" she asked.  
"An old ceremonial tradition of the krogan," Wrex replied in his deep rumbling voice. "When you come to deal with leaders of armies, dress in the bones of those you have killed. This is part of the thresher maw I killed, over a thousand years ago." He wrapped Wednesday in a crushing hug, and as he did so he took a deep breath of the air.

Wednesday braced herself, but even then was still caught off guard by the swiftness of Wrex's movements as he moved to crush her.  
"Did you think I wouldn't recognise that smell?" he whispered harshly in her ear.  
"It's not what you think, Wrex," Wednesday said calmly, squirming a little.  
"I know the smell of rachni Shepard, I was on Noveria, and you better hope that silver tongue of yours still works if you want to get out of this one alive!" he continued in his menacing quiet tone.  
"How about this, you let me go and I don't spray your guts all over the airlock?" Wednesday ground out. Her cybernetically enhanced strength managed to pry one of his arms off hers, allowing her to access her shotgun and press it intimately into his middle.

Wrex spared a glance down at the weapon pressed into him, then back at Wednesday, and put her back on the floor. He glared at her, daring her to give him a reason to try and finish her.  
"Wrex, I know it's mixed up with a lot of bad feelings, but you have to believe me when I say that the rachni on the ship is not the same kind as your ancestors fought."  
"Prove it," the krogan challenged.  
"Fine, come with me then," Wednesday said. She walked away down the central corridor, Wrex following a few steps behind her, his hulking form looming over the multi-species technicians working their stations. Wednesday led the way to the elevator, getting in and holding it long enough for him to get in with her, before heading down to the hangar. Wrex said nothing as they descended, just making a low, consistent grumbling at the back of his throat.

The door opened at the lowest part of the ship and Wrex sniffed again, the pupils of his eyes reducing to slits as the scent became stronger. His think fingers twitched as they were currently without a weapon, though the massive hands were weapon enough for most threats.  
"Anacrusis, I need to introduce you to someone," Wednesday called out. A moment later, the young queen stood before them, shaking a bit as the intimidating krogan stared down at her.  
"This is it?" Wrex said menacingly as he stared at the young rachni.  
"She is named Anacrusis, Wrex," Wednesday said. "She and her kind were brainwashed into fighting the rest of the galaxy by the Reapers. Not unlike those cloned krogan we found on Virmire," she added. The mention of the events of Virmire seemed to affect him, as he turned a red eye on her.

"You really believe that?" he asked.  
"I do," Wednesday said, putting the power of her conviction behind the statement. "She's been on this ship for months now, and the only thing she'd cause a problem for is that she likes chocolate a little too much. She's not that different to you Wrex, a leader of her people fighting not just for survival, but recognition. And unlike you, she had a lot more prejudice stacked up against her." Wrex scrutinised Ana closely, sizing her up like any other opponent. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before focusing back on Wednesday as he opened his eyes.  
"Alright, maybe the time has come to forget old rivalries, or at least move past them. The Reapers aren't ones to respect things like that anyway. But before we go and do this incredibly boring thing, I need you to let me do something first."  
"What do you need Wrex?" Wednesday asked.  
"I want to wrestle her," he said, pointing a thick finger at Anacrusis, who shrank back from the stabbing digit. "I'm about to go and be diplomatic with a bunch of turians, salarians and asari, which is only marginally more fun than trying to do the same with my fellow krogan. I haven't had a decent, stand-up fight for months and it's driving me crazy. So, you let me determine right now whose the strongest between me and music note over there, and I promise not to kill at least one salarian, maybe a turian as well."

Wednesday laughed at seeing the once-proud krogan warrior and leader of the krogan people reduced to begging to fight someone before a war summit.  
"Alright, but I'm going to lay down a few rules," she said once she regained her composure. "First, no killing each other. Second, reduce maiming to minimal please, I don't think Chakwas has quite the capability to reattach limbs for either of you right now. Lastly, you only have twenty minutes. So, let's get ready to rumble!"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, a sweaty but smiling Wrex, his armour a little dented in places where Anacrusis had proven the advantage of having more limbs than your opponent, came in to the war room, accompanied by Wednesday. Inside the room Victus and Linron were having a serious sounding discussion. Only Wednesday, who was to Linron's back, saw the expression of helplessness and desperation on Victus' face. She cleared her throat, grabbing the attention of everyone including Aethyta, who had a drink in hand and was looking like she'd rather be anywhere else but here. Wednesday went over to the communication suite and pressed a few buttons, a hologram of Admiral Hackett appearing next to her in the room.

"Now that we are all here, we can call this meeting to order," Victus said.  
"About time that brute showed up," Linron said darkly, looking disapprovingly at Wrex's dress and appearance.  
"A salarian insulting a krogan, how original," Wrex drawled back.  
"Enough, both of you," Victus said sternly. It was a measure of respect that Wrex nodded to the turian, though Linron just crossed her arms and glared at both of them. "We have a lot to talk about, all of us, regarding the Reapers and plans to eliminate them," Victus said, reminding them all of the real reason they were here.

"Thanks to our friends in the Alliance, as well as intelligence we've managed to get from fighting in the Trebia system, we have identified weaknesses and strategies we can use on Reaper targets, specifically the larger ships," Victus said, pulling up reports and holograms on the central console. "While the largest of the Reaper ships are massive in size, they can still be beaten by combined numbers," Hackett added. "Unfortunately, given the relative size of the fleets they command compared to ours, overwhelming numbers as a tactic won't work forever."  
"Their ships also are much more vulnerable on the ground, given the percentage of their drive cores they need to divert to mass-altering," Victus added. "The ground transports and harvest ships also provide tempting targets, however these ships are generally in well-protected convoys."

"We do have another option, though it's still being investigated at this time," Hackett added. He brought up the plans for the Crucible.  
"What is it?" Linron asked.  
"It's a weapon based on a prothean design," Hackett replied. "We're still working on understanding the blueprints, since they seemed to have used base-12 maths in the designs, but we are fairly confident based on initial analyses that this could potentially destroy the Reapers entirely. Unfortunately, it's a two-part design, and the data on the second piece is still eluding us. We have people looking through other known prothean archives and data caches, but without knowing exactly what they're looking for, it may take some time." In the corner of the room, Aethyta perked up a little at the mention of prothean data caches. Maybe it was time to let her daughter in on the real secret the Matriarchs would kill to maintain.

"You've given us a lot of interesting dazzle Victus, but what about fleet deployment, civilian fallback points, inter-fleet command structures, hmm?" Linron asked condescendingly.  
"Not to mention, if you want the support of more than just clan Urdnot, you're going to have to give us something concrete to fight for. A war on this scale is going to dramatically reduce our population, perhaps below sustainable numbers. A delivery of some long-awaited reparations might be in order," Wrex added significantly.  
"We'll get to that Wrex, just like Fedorian agreed before I got the job," Victus said calmly.  
"Like hell you will!" Linron burst out. "There is no way that I'm going to authorise curing the genophage!"  
"Dalatrass, believe it or not, that's not going to be the worst thing I'm about to reveal to you," Victus said. He nodded to Wednesday, who slipped out of the room.  
"I didn't come here to be a part of some farce!" Linron shouted. "We're leaving, Commodore!"

"If you walk out that door, I can promise you that Sur'Kesh will be alone in this fight," Victus informed her as the moved to leave.  
"You wouldn't dare," Linron hissed. "You need us."  
"Point in fact Dalatrass, we really don't," Victus countered. "Between the Alliance and the krogan, we have more than enough military forces to make up for what token support you've given so far, and are threatening to revoke. I have spoken to the new Shadow Broker, and I'm sure that barring a temporary shortfall in intelligence efficiency, credits will be the least thing to worry about as we pay them for the intelligence the STG will no longer be providing. And given the support our newest ally had pledged for civilian resettlement assistance and in building new ships and the Crucible Hackett mentioned, I'm not sure what you can threaten to take away that we can't make up for somehow."

"You can't just threaten me like that!" Linron shouted. "We made you, we lifted the turians to the Council!"  
"Only when your last project didn't work out so well for you," Victus countered, looking significantly over to Wrex.  
"And what is this preposterous talk of a new ally?" Linron continued obliviously. "There are no new species I'm aware of that have such a infrastructure."  
"_That would be me and my kind_," Anacrusis said as the entered the war room behind Wednesday.  
"You should be dead!" Linron said in a disbelieving whisper. "A mistake I will rectify right now!" she added strongly, reaching for Renheit's sidearm. The Fleet Commodore moved away before she could reach it and cause a diplomatic incident, but was surprised when he looked up to find both Wrex and Victus standing in front of the young queen. That gesture alone certainly bore further investigation later.

"I'll thank you not to shoot the ambassador," Victus said sternly.  
"You are all out of your minds," Linron said menacingly. "Negotiating with the krogan, with the rachni? They are not our equals, they are tools and insects, the only thing we should do to them is dictate terms!"  
"Dalatrass, I've seen some stupid things done by intelligent people," Aethyta said from her drink. "That one though, woo, that takes the cake."  
"You can't be seriously considering any of this!?" Linron questioned disbelievingly.  
"The krogan and the rachni, some of the most powerful warriors the galaxy has ever seen, have offered to fight in the greatest war the galaxy has ever known, and you're quibbling about the price," Aethyta drawled. "I'm not only seriously considering this, but I'm also considering kicking you out of this and leaving you and your supporters to hang. I'm half tempted to do the same for the rest of the asari as well, since I had to come here against their wishes."

Linron looked around the room, looking for any kind of support. She found none with Victus, a man she thought she would have on her side. She knew she would have none from Wrex nor the rachni abomination, but she didn't care for them anyway. Aethyta, for all that she was a Matriarch, was known to have a low opinion of the Thessian Council, and she just proved that by her abstention. Even Renheit, a man she had known and worked with for years, seemed unmoved by her plight. She could only look to one person now for sanity, that of Admiral Hackett.  
"Surely you see reason Admiral?" she asked in a voice that showed the fragility of her position.  
"All I see is a bigot and a bully, and I'm not impressed by either," Hackett said firmly. "Leaving aside Commander Shepard's… lax attitude towards informing her supposed superiors about certain important facts, I stand behind her and the rest of those assembled here. We need the krogan, Dalatrass, and if that means we need to weaken the genophage to do so, then so be it. I'd rather deal with the ramifications of krogan population boom in a post-Reaper galaxy, than have them back away and never get the chance."

Linron hung her head in anger, her hands trembling with impotent rage. She had made a mistake coming here, when she could have had just as much success dictating terms elsewhere.  
"Fine, I see that I am the sole voice of sanity in these proceedings," she said acidly to them all. "Unfortunately, _Urdnot Wrex_, what you ask for will take time to develop." She spat out Wrex's name like an insult, and the krogan in question merely growled in return.  
"You'd like us all to think that, but I have information that it would take a lot less time than you'd have us believe," Wrex countered. "In fact, I'm sure the STG are already working on a cure now." He pulled up him omni-tool and played a video file, one that showed salarians working on a live krogan. The architecture, and hints of tropical greenery outside the window, suggested it could only be a salarian holding somewhere.

"Where did you get that?" Linron asked, eyes wide. Only after she spoke did she realise she had not only confirmed that the recording was legitimate, but that she had been caught in a lie.  
"Someone in the STG obviously has more ethics than you do, Dalatrass," Wrex replied.  
"It could be a fake," Linron tried to backpedal, but she knew it was too late.  
"It's not the only one I have Linron, nor is it just video files," Wrex countered. "Someone reached out to me a few months ago, didn't give a name but said they were working on a genophage cure. Victus, if you want the krogan in on this like Fedorian did, I need that cure. Otherwise, you'll only get a fraction of the krogan support. The rest will stay on Tuchanka until the Reapers come and claim us."  
"Is that all you want Wrex?" Victus asked. "You do realise that if we do this, cure the genophage, we're going to have to come back to the issue of population control again, assuming we survive the Reapers."  
"Like Hackett said, we can deal with that another day, we need to win the fight first," Wrex answered.  
"Alright, we'll put it to a vote. All in favour of dealing with the genophage?" Victus asked. A few seconds later and the only hand not raised was that of Linron herself.

"You'll all regret this," Linron said as her gambit was defeated. "A bully has few friends when he needs them."  
"Well, I'm looking around Dalatrass, and it looks like all your friends seem to be in short supply," Aethyta countered. Linron just glared at the Matriarch, who was unfortunately correct.  
"Dalatrass, I'm going to have to ask you to tell us where that recording was taken from, and allow us access so we can deliver it to the krogan," Victus said as he turned to the Dalatrass.  
"It's an STG base on Sur'Kesh," she admitted, cornered as she was. "I'll deal with the access now, but mark my words, you haven't heard the last of this."

* * *

"So, that went well," Wednesday said as she poured herself a drink. The negotiations had continued after they had dealt with the genophage issue. Linron had shown herself out, disgusted at the lack of support on the issue.  
"What I don't understand is how you managed it so Wrex and Anacrusis didn't try to murder each other on sight," Victus said, sipping his drink.  
"I'm not going to lie, that took some fast talking – and pointing very deadly weapons at species ambassadors - on my part," Wednesday agreed. "Actually, they're probably at it again if you want a free show."  
"Better than trying to drink to forget that thrilling adventure in diplomacy."  
"Trust me Primarch, there isn't enough alcohol on this ship to forget that crock," Aethyta said as she opened a bottle, took a sniff, inspected the label, then proceeded to swig straight from it. She didn't look like she was going to give it back anytime soon.

"Well, dinner's in a little while, and I'm sure Wrex at least is looking for some entertainment after dealing with Linron," Wednesday said, standing once more and leading them to the elevator. She got off on the engineering deck, sauntering forward and leaning against the window looking into the hangar. Wrex and Anacrusis were once again circling each other, apex predators vying for domination. Suddenly, the krogan bellowed a challenge and lunged forward, slamming into the insectoid foe and sending them both to the floor.  
"They wrestled? Seriously?" Victus said.  
"Well, like I said, there was some fast talking and a gun involved as well," Wednesday said as Anacrusis used her multitude of appendages to lift the krogan and throw him into a stack of crates.  
"A thousand years of pent up aggression, and you let them just fight it out?" the turian asked, bewildered.  
"I laid down a few rules as well," Wednesday said as Wrex laughed and charged in again.

"Hey, worked for my parents," Aethyta said as Wrex was bodily hurled into the window they were watching through. The elder asari didn't even bat an eye, and took another swig from her bottle. "Might give it a go myself later."  
"If you do end up going against Ana, be careful. She's only just out of her teenage years, relatively speaking, so she doesn't respond well to sexual overtures," Wednesday warned.  
"What, she like your daughter or something?" Aethyta asked incredulously, turning a raised eyebrow on Shepard.  
"More like grandkid," Wednesday said. "Grunt's my son, and Ana's mother is like my daughter, I suppose."  
"Wow, family reunions for you must be weird," Victus said.  
"I'm an Addams. You have no idea," Wednesday replied with a smirk as Wrex lifted Ana upside down and threw her into the crates she'd just thrown him.

"So, was there a winner before?" Victus asked.  
"They were one for one before we started the summit," Wednesday replied. "Ana won the first bout, Wrex was a little too cocky about his skills. The second bout was longer, Wrex learned from the first fight and applied it, ended up winning. This is the tiebreaker."  
"How long have they been going at it now?" Victus asked.  
"Assuming they started a few minutes after the summit officially ended, about an hour now," Wednesday answered.  
"Certainly puts the rachni wars into perspective, seeing them like that," Victus mused.  
"Especially once you consider that the queens grow quite large," Wednesday added. "Dal Segno, Ana's mother, she wouldn't be able to fit on the _Normandy_, not even if we cleared out the hangar."  
"Huh," Aethyta said, taking another swig. "Life, it's a real kick in the quad."

* * *

**A/N: So, Friday's her middle name, yeah?**

**Sorry about the delay of this chapter, real life came between me and publishing it. I will try and make the next one come out sooner.**


	5. Old Friends, New Enemies

"Not that I'm complaining Wrex, but don't you have your own ship?" Wednesday asked as she leaned against a bulkhead in the hangar. Wrex was leaning against one right next to her, and it reminded her a little of the good old days on the original _Normandy_ \- tracking down Saren and his heretic geth, killing everything in their way and tasting its blood. Wednesday smiled gently at the thought, and continued.

"One where you have your own food and can fight your own guys, instead of constantly trying to get ahead in your little competition with Ana?"  
"Honestly, the food on that bucket was only one step above dirt, and I've beaten all those idiots who managed to actually fly it," Wrex admitted. "Besides, I've almost got the lead back," he grunted.  
"Whatever makes you happy, Wrex," Wednesday said as she watched Vega doing his pull-ups. As much as she firmly belonged to Liara in all things sexual, there was just something mesmerising about watching his tree-trunk arms bulge and flex as he exercised.

"Commander, we're in orbit around Sur'Kesh," Joker spoke over the intercom.  
"Alright, I'm on my way," Wednesday replied, nodding to Wrex. The burly krogan nodded back, returning his thoughts to how best to take on the young rachni queen in their next fight, since she was currently ahead by one in their little tally. Wednesday returned to the bridge to find EDI standing at the new station she had been assigned as a member of the crew. While she no longer had total control of the _Normandy-A_, she still had access to the electronic warfare and cyberwarfare suites still installed in the systems. Wednesday, Adams and Sam worked with EDI to create a usable interface for her to streamline her work in such cases. It also allowed the android to access the _Normandy's_ systems as a power boost to her new frame's significant computer slicing and cyberwarfare abilities on the ground, should she volunteer for such action.

Wednesday stepped up to the command podium and was immediately immersed in the tactical hologram of the system, showing them the planet below them and the location of the STG base that Dalatrass Linron had begrudgingly given them. She had told them she would call ahead to grant them access, but Wednesday wasn't going to bet money on that fact.  
"Alright, I'm heading down in the shuttle," she informed Sam as the ship's XO. The communications specialist was technically qualified as an officer, and she was a damn sight better than the freelancers now crewing the _Normandy_. "EDI, you and Sam keep an eye open for any Reaper threats. They may not have a notable presence in this system, but I'm not keen to take chances when it's the fate of the galaxy potentially in the offing."  
"Aye ma'am," Sam replied professionally. Wednesday hit the intercom to relay the next order throughout the ship.  
"Everyone who wants in on this venture, meet in the hangar in 15 minutes, locked and loaded."  
"Commander, isn't this meant to be a peaceful mission?" someone asked.  
"I like to think that any place you can't fire a gun isn't a place I'd like to visit," Wednesday replied with a grin, before she went upstairs to retrieve her armour.

* * *

On the surface of Sur'Kesh, on confirmation of the _Normandy-A_ in the system, one salarian STG agent went on a short break.

Several moments later, he returned to his station and continued his duties as before. When questioned, he had no memory of what he had done during his break, and was out of sight of the cameras for the duration. As there was nothing out of the ordinary at the time, the event was flagged as suspicious, but low priority. Any investigation into the breach of protocol would happen after the far more intensely controversial relocation of the genophage cure research team, subjects and scientists both, away from the system.

* * *

As the appointed fifteen minutes expired, Wednesday found herself joined by Wrex, Garrus, Liara, Solana, Lurch and James Vega, all armed and armoured as if on a hostile insertion. Wednesday just smirked, she felt like a proud mother watching as her children all grew up into little murderous psychopaths. As she slid into the pilot seat and eased them out of the _Normandy_ and into the planet's atmosphere, Wrex finally spoke about the elephant she had been thinking about just before.  
"So, anyone want to bet that the Dalatrass conveniently 'forgot' to mention to the STG we're coming?" the krogan asked.  
"She wouldn't, would she?" Vega asked uncertainly. Wednesday just shook her head sadly. It seemed she still had a ways to go before she had him Addams-broken.  
"You'll learn," was Wrex's only comment to Vega. Lurch agreed with a chest-vibrating rumble, much to the approval of Solana, who was leaning against him. Garrus' sister was rapidly becoming enraptured by the whole Addams lifestyle, and Wednesday could only watch with amusement as the younger woman bounced from playing with Ana to annoying Lurch. She'd even managed to find where the giant zombie hid when he wasn't called, though Garrus had yet to pry that information from her.

As they approached the base coordinates, several indicating sensors lit up, indicating that the shuttle was now the target of several weapons systems, which while not immediately firing on them, made it clear that this was in fact an option at any point.  
"Unidentified shuttle, state your course and business," came a harsh request over the comm.  
"This is Commander Shepard on Council business. Our landing was approved by Dalatrass Linron."  
"One moment, do not vary approach vector," the voice replied.  
"Now we find out if the Dalatrass is really that petty," Garrus said from the co-pilot chair.  
"We have your confirmation, though only just. Approach the following coordinates." Wednesday added the coordinates that followed into the computer, aiming to land at the highlighted zone.

As they made their final approach, a pair of security guards gestured firmly to stop the shuttle from actually landing.  
"Like hell they're stopping me," Wrex grumbled as he stomped up to the hatch. "Let's see them try and stop a krogan air drop!" he shouted as he slammed the hatch release. He stepped forward into the open air above the landing pad and fell, impacting with enough force to crack the reinforced concrete.  
"Lurch, you know what to do," Wednesday said as she lowered the shuttle to land, authorisation or not. Lurch followed Wrex's example, and was on the ground in time to see Wrex using his biotics to incapacitate the salarians who tried in vain to stop him. Wednesday sprang from the shuttle as Lurch's weapon revved up to readiness, and a squad of STG veteran soldiers surged forth, weapons free.

"You want a go then?" Wrex asked, ratcheting his shotgun.  
"You move a single step forward, you'll be dead by the time you make the second," the leader of the salarians said boldly. "We will hold the line." Wednesday followed the leader's line of sight to the laser sights on the krogan's face and chest. Her enhanced sight enabled her to follow the lines of light to their source, and the snipers atop the facility roof across the gorge. Something about the voice made her refocus on the salarian leader, the familiar facial colouring and stance coming back to her as someone she had met before.  
"Captain Kirrahe?" she asked. The salarian in question turned his large eyes on her, and she instantly recognised him from Virmire and the near-disaster averted there.  
"It's Major now Commander, and I must ask you all to stand down. Your landing authorisation is still working its way through our system."  
"And here I thought the Dalatrass was someone to be trusted," Garrus said in mock sincerity. "Guess I know better, and you can bet my good friend Primarch Victus will as well."  
"You don't frighten me Vakarian," Kirrahe said sternly. "I haven't forgotten your assistance that saved my men on Virmire, but we are dealing with bigger things here."

"Have you bothered looking around the galaxy Major?" Solana asked sarcastically. "I'd say the Reapers certainly count as bigger things."  
"You're talking about curing the genophage," Kirrahe replied. "Many of the people here are understandably uneasy about the concept."  
"We aren't here to debate ethics or politics Major," Wednesday said. "We're here to implement a strategy that will see a significant increase in available fighting forces across the galaxy."  
"Unfortunately you're going to have to work through our quarantine systems first," Kirrahe said, more calmly. He gestured and the weapons his team had trained upon Wednesday were lifted, though not put away. Wednesday respected that, and had her people do the same. She followed as Kirrahe led them into the top level of the facility, obviously the reception and security area.

As they approached an elevator, they were met by another familiar face, this one modified with significant cybernetic replacements due to battle damage.  
"Imness, good to see you again," Wednesday said. Imness said nothing, but gave everyone who'd been with them at the final battle three years ago an acknowledging nod, before he went back to wherever he'd been.  
"I'm sorry Commander, but I'm afraid your… diplomatic guest, will have to remain here," Kirrahe said with a significant glance at Wrex as he personally expedited them through the security system. "The automatic sensors on the lower levels will target him as hostile."  
"You okay with scaring the locals up here for a few minutes Wrex?" Wednesday called back.  
"That's fine, gives me a chance to warm them up!" Wrex shouted in return. "Raw salarian liver always tastes better after a bit of exercise," he drawled to one of the security agents who had either volunteered, or more likely been assigned to watch the burly krogan.  
"He's joking right?" Vega asked softly. The nearest two to him were Garrus and Solana, the former of whom just gave him a Look.  
"Probably," Garrus conceded. "Though he did once tell us a story about how he killed and drank a turian once." Vega opened his mouth a few times, but then decided that he didn't want to know.

As Kirrahe finally pushed their process through the security checks, the elevator opened. Wednesday took Garrus, Liara and Lurch with her, leaving Vega and Solana on the top level with Wrex. As the doors closed, Wednesday got the briefest hint of worry on Kirrahe's face as an agent whispered something to him.  
"On your toes everyone, this feels too easy," Wednesday warned them.  
"Which means it's almost certainly a trap," Liara said with a smirk.  
"Question is, who's made it this time?" Garrus asked as the door opened on the lower level.

They stepped out only to find themselves in the middle of what, in intellectual terms, was the Battle of Waterloo. The two salarians involved had hardly raised their voices, but their arguments were like the regiments lining up along the field of battle, each cutting insight and barb a volley of lead into the opponent's ranks. Most of it went right over the heads of Wednesday and her team, but as they approached a temporary ceasefire was established to acknowledge their presence. Wednesday didn't recognise the one facing them, a younger female by the look of her body. The male facing away from them was hard to miss, especially as he turned around to give them a better look at his missing horn and numerous facial scars.

"Shepard, glad to see they sent someone reasonable," he said, his voice different than the last time they had spoken on Omega. It seemed older, more weary than before.  
"Reasonable!?" the female remarked in a tone of disdain. "They send someone infamous for her use of explosives for solving problems, and you call her reasonable? Sometimes I wonder about your judgement."  
"Lack experience, don't see bigger picture," Mordin rebuked her, before turning back to Shepard. "Here to retrieve cure for krogan, no doubt."  
"I was told there were also some female survivors," Wednesday replied.  
"Were," Mordin replied, a hint of remorse colouring his response. "Only one now, imperative she survive."  
"Which she won't do if you insist on moving her so soon after the last treatment!" the younger salarian added forcefully. "We're lucky that the data Maelon worked with was so meticulously detailed. Otherwise there would be no survivors at all!" This was apparently the glove to the face that was needed to reignite the scientific battle that had been only briefly paused by Wednesday's presence.

"Who are you?" Garrus managed to ask as his eyes tracked back and forth as the argument raged.  
"Forgive me, introductions," Mordin said, turning to them again without skipping a beat in his cadence. "Shepard, Garrus, Liara, Lurch," he said, pointing at each of them in turn for the benefit of the other salarian. "Malra, niece. Very bright, very argumentative."  
"Only when I'm right!" Malra insisted. Wednesday was no expert, but there did seem to be a slight similarity in the facial structure that could indicate relatedness, but then again, it could mean anything. It would be like relating her to the actress they had cast as her in '_Citadel'_ because they both had black hair.  
"Come," Mordin said simply, cutting off the argument for the moment and leading them all into the lab. As they made their way through the lab, they passed a morgue where the figures of female krogan were covered by a sheet.

"Just guessing, but you're Wrex's source, aren't you?" Garrus asked.  
"Correct," Mordin replied. "Time come to correct mistakes of the past, Reapers too important to leave old grudges."  
"At least we agree on that," Malra said as they continued. The group stopped in front of a quarantine pod, where the last of the krogan females stood to greet them. She was clad from head to foot in an elaborate costume, covering her entirely save for her vibrant green eyes. She looked at them all with a hard stare.  
"Are you here to kill me?" she asked resignedly.  
"Not today," Wednesday replied. "Maybe some other day, who can tell?"  
"Who indeed." the female answered.

"Unfortunately, Malra correct," Mordin said as he stepped up to one of the monitors. "Female unstable, unable to be released."  
"Well, we need her if we're going to actually finish that cure," Malra said shortly. "If we stimulate her regenerative abilities, she should be stable enough to transport soon," she said to her uncle. She and Mordin went to the monitors, pressing buttons in a frenzy. The female went back to the bench and sighed resignedly as a series of automated needles pressed into her arms. As the needles retracted, alarms started blaring in the whole lab, accompanied by flashing lights.

"What's going on?" Garrus asked.  
"One moment," Mordin said, heading to a nearby security station, pressing more buttons, his eyes twitching as they absorbed the information. "Unauthorised contacts incoming, unknown origin or affiliation."  
"Then we're out of time, especially if it's the Reapers," Wednesday said. "We need to get to my shuttle on the roof, what's the fastest way?"  
"Quarantine pod can be raised through building," Mordin said, stepping into a section of the pod. "Will need to accompany pod," he added as the shield was raised.  
"Alright, we'll head to the roof and meet you there," Malra said, leading the rest of them as the quarantine pod began to rise towards the roof.

As the elevator doors opened, they looked down to see a device on the floor.  
"Get down!" Wednesday shouted as she backed away as fast as she could. All of them except Lurch jumped backwards, the hulking zombie moving forward to pull the doors closed with his massive fists. He only succeeded in closing the doors partially before the device went off, enshrouding him in a barrage of flame, shrapnel and smoke before he toppled backwards like a felled log.  
"Looks like it's the stairs," Garrus said as he began to walk away, Wednesday and Liara at his side.  
"What about your companion?" Malra asked, looking at the still-smoking corpse on the floor.  
"Lurch can come when he's finished napping," Garrus replied. Malra was about to complain when Lurch gave a floor-vibrating groan, getting slowly back to hit feet like an avalanche in reverse. When he finally achieved verticality, he slowly turned so everyone could see his smoke-blackened and shrapnel-peppered armour. Then he simply plodded after Garrus and Wednesday, who were already beginning to ascend the emergency ladder on the other side of the lab. Malra looked between them and the giant zombie a few times, before she gave up and followed them.

As she got to the top with the others, Malra came in at the end of a conversation.  
"- looks like its Cerberus," Wrex's voice said over an omni-tool connection.  
"We've already had a bomb down here, so we'll keep our eyes open," Wednesday replied as she closed the connection. "Alright, we've got to keep up with the pod, so we need to keep moving upwards," she said to them, moving forward as she pulled out her assault rifle. As she rounded the corner, she immediately flinched back as a round ricocheted off a wall.  
"Cerberus alright, always turning up at the worst times," Garrus said as he prepared to run across. Wednesday laid down covering fire for him, getting a good look as the last of the Cerberus troops jumped from the shuttle and landed feet-first, assisted by their rocket-powered footwear.  
"Oh, no way, they get cooler toys then I do!" Wednesday whined as Garrus laid down cover for her and the rest of the team to get into firing position.

Between them, they managed to take out the Cerberus troopers on the lowest level. In the lead, Wednesday knelt down to inspect the footwear on the downed trooper. Unfortunately, they were nowhere near her size.  
"So, jet-powered boots, huh?" Garrus said as he came up to her. Wednesday said nothing, just looked at the boots some more.  
"Yeah, short jumps only, a few meters at most," Wednesday said, mostly thinking out loud. "Connected to a small eezo pocket probably to reduce the mass a little."  
"You'll have to sample yourself a pair later," Malra said. "We need to move upwards. The pod my uncle and the female are in needs to be passed through each checkpoint on the inside and the outside." An explosion rocked the facility, even at the level they were on.  
"Judging by the size and efficiency of this assault, we might just have to do this ourselves," Garrus commented.  
"Cerberus certainly doesn't want the genophage cured," Wednesday commented.

As they moved towards the stairs to the next level, they came across a room where there were several yahg in quarantine cells. As they passed, a gas main ruptured and one of the yahg escaped. It roared at them and burst out into the jungle, through the flames.  
"There goes the next Shadow Broker," Garrus whispered, so only Wednesday and Liara could hear it.  
"Not funny Garrus," Liara growled.  
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I heard it say 'T'Soni' as it went," Wednesday joined in.  
"I know where both of you sleep," the asari growled again as they moved up the stairs.

As they came onto the next level, they found another shuttle moving away while a second Cerberus assault squad was already firing at the quarantine pod's shield. Wednesday sent hand signals to her team, Garrus and Liara moving to the left while she ducked to the right. Malra followed her a second later, while Lurch just strode up the middle, revving up his cannon. The sound of the whirring barrels attracted the attention of the Cerberus troopers, in time for Garrus and Wednesday to catch them in a withering crossfire. Those that survived the initial hail of fire from the sides inevitably fell from Lurch's cannon punching massive holes in them, Liara's biotics tearing them apart, or Malra's surprisingly hard-hitting pistol. It was no doubt salarian, designed for the long slim fingers of the amphibious race, and it had pleasing blue and white patterns. The barrel was extremely wide to allow for the projectile, which wasn't so much a bullet as a miniature adhesive explosive. The poor Cerberus trooper tried in vain to remove the glowing orb, before it detonated and blew him into chunks. Wednesday quietly assessed the footwear of the corpses as they passed by, but failed to find any of the daintier sizes she needed.  
"I want one of those!" Garrus called out as they approached the pod.

"This thing still holding together?" Wednesday asked Mordin.  
"Shields intact, just need signal from your side," he replied.  
"What about you?" Wednesday asked the krogan.  
"I'm a krogan, it'll take more than that to frighten me," she replied, almost sounding bored.  
"Let's move then," Wednesday said as she pressed the button, already moving to the stairs. As she ascended, the pod came under attack by Cerberus troopers firing from a hovering shuttle. Lurch took care of it, indiscriminately firing up at the shuttle and the occupants. It only took a few seconds for the shuttle to suffer fatal damage, not to mention the troops inside, where it went down in flames. Wednesday watched from the top as a gunship flew past, sporting Cerberus colours. A shuttle Wednesday recognised flew past a second later, its guns firing at the Cerberus ships as it flew jerkily. Shepard smiled as she figured out who must be at the controls.

"Looks like Wrex is having about as much fun as we are," Garrus mused as he joined Wednesday. Once Liara joined them, the three set out forward, leaving Malra and Lurch to form a rear-guard. As they rounded a corner, they saw Major Kirrahe again.  
"Commander, looks like it's Virmire all over again," he said glibly. He moved from cover, his pistol a match for Malra's. He fired six times and moved across the hall into cover. A few seconds later, the stunned troopers exploded as the ordnance detonated.  
"Seriously, I need one of those," Garrus said again.  
"Heads up, new threat!" Kirrahe shouted as a trooper with less armour but a more elaborate headgear turned the corner. He took something off his back and then retreated again, the glow of his omni-tool the only indicator of his presence. The item unfolded, turning into a large-bore automated turret which immediately painted Wednesday and her allies as enemies, spraying their location with fire.

Wednesday hunkered down as the bullets tore chucks out of the scenery, pulling up her own omni-tool. She passed the time as the rounds sprayed around loading a suitable program, and when the gun stopped to cool, she released the hack. The turret moved jerkily as the turret's programming conflicted with Wednesday's newly-infiltrated routines, before its corrupted IFF systems picked out a new target, one much closer than the others. Wednesday watched the Cerberus engineer's body language as the turret turned on him, his hands frantically moving over his interface as he tried to override Wednesday's hack. Wednesday didn't bother trying to hide her grin as the turret gunned down its creator, before she sent through a self-destruct command to follow up the IFF hack. This one didn't have as much success as her previous one, so she settled for doing it the hard way as Kirrahe hit it with a second wave of his pistol. The turret successfully destroyed, they moved forward only to come across another wave of Cerberus troops as they dropped from a passing shuttle.

"Every time," Wednesday muttered as she pulled out her rifle and fired. Garrus fired next to her, while Liara and Malra moved into supporting positions through the lab. Lurch just absorbed the fire as he moved forward, his gun revving up once more as he moved forward like a force of nature. The Cerberus troopers did their best, but the forces arrayed against them were far too much for them.

Mere moments later, their enemies dead at their feet, Wednesday moved on. Kirrahe moved towards a hatch, too small for anyone but a slim salarian to fit in, activating a cloaking device as he went.  
"Wow, those salarians are really into their stealth technology," Garrus said as they moved to the next set of stairs.

As they opened the doors to the next area a battle was already raging between the Cerberus troopers and the varren the STG had obviously been experimenting on. What the experiments entailed was a mystery, but the fact that the varren could bite someone's leg right off was clearly visible, given the blood, the screaming, and the legs. All Wednesday had to do was clean-up as they moved through, putting down wounded varren and executing wounded Cerberus troopers. Wednesday moved up the stairs to the next level first, Liara and Malra following while Garrus and Lurch secured the bottom floor. As they came to a door that had locked down, Malra moved into to override it with her security clearance, Garrus and Lurch joining them.

They opened it to find the pod just coming into dock, Cerberus troopers already readying firing positions. The pod's shields crackled as they held under the Cerberus fire, before they came under fire from the rear as Wednesday's team fired into them. There were more this time, the two teams trading fire for several minutes before one side gained an advantage. The sub-standard armour and weapons the Cerberus troopers were using sealed the deal for them, Wednesday kicking the stubborn one who wasn't quite dead yet as she walked by after passing the pod through the checkpoint.  
"Good to see affinity for destruction still intact," Mordin quipped as he moved towards the roof.

As they shimmied their way up the ladder to finally reach the top floor once again, they found another Cerberus shuttle dropping off more reinforcements. They were being harassed by the surviving STG agents accompanied by Solana and Vega, who were rallying around Kirrahe at the far end of the building. Wednesday took cover and pulled out her sniper rifle as a gunship strafed the STG position, waiting for her team to join her.  
"There's a lot of ships in the area, too many to have been hiding on the surface," Wednesday said as Garrus took out his rifle and lined up a shot. Wednesday scoped the gunship and fired, the armour-penetrating round entering the engine housing and causing an explosion. It didn't cause it to crash, but the damaged engine sent it spinning out of control for a moment before the pilot compensated. Unfortunately for the Cerberus pilot, it was enough time for Wrex to do a fly-by with the _Normandy's_ shuttle and finish it off.

"Incoming hostiles!" one of the Cerberus lieutenants shouted as one of his squadmates exploded from Malra's gun, spraying him with gore and shrapnel. Wednesday turned her gun on him next, killing him with a single shot through the chest. Between Wednesday's team firing from the east side and Kirrahe's team firing from the west side, the Cerberus troopers were caught in a deadly crossfire and killed to a man.  
"Well, that was fun," Garrus said once it was all over. Wednesday moved towards the final checkpoint, Kirrahe heading downwards with the STG survivors to secure the rest of the facility. Vega and Solana joined them, talking with Garrus and Liara.  
"It was too easy," Wednesday mused. She opened a channel to the _Normandy_ to follow up on a hunch.

"Sam, run a scan on the system. There's a Cerberus ship somewhere, and I want it gone," Wednesday ordered.  
"I'll get right on it Commander," Samantha replied. Wednesday turned back to the quarantine pod as it ran its unlocking sequence, looking at both its occupants.  
"You two still okay in there?" she asked.  
"Shields not designed for direct fire, but still effective enough for protection," Mordin said.  
"Why the concern Commander?" the krogan asked. "You don't even know me."  
"You're possibly the key to curing the genophage," Wednesday remarked. "Right now, that makes you the most important person in the galaxy. If nothing else, that makes you incredibly interesting."

"Incoming!" Vega shouted. Wednesday looked to her newest Alliance liaison and saw him looking skyward. She followed suit to see something approaching quickly, almost uncontrollably quickly.  
"Into cover!" she shouted. She barely had time to duck behind a bench as the thing came to a massive crash into the landing pad. She risked looking over the edge to see what had landed, and ducked back immediately as the large mech suit turned a large-bore cannon on her and fired. The shot went high, but it was close enough that she could hear the round as it split the air going past her.

"Spread out, take it down!" she shouted as the final Cerberus shuttle came into view, ferrying its last load of troops before Wrex shot it down with another flyby. The mech, with 'Atlas' emblazoned on the side, aimed its cannon at the hovering shuttle and fired, its first two shots rocking the craft dangerously. The third shot went wide, as Wrex pulled the shuttle in order to keep it in the air. After it disappeared from view, it turned its guns back on anything non-Cerberus, starting with Wednesday Shepard herself. Wednesday pulled back into cover and fired at some troopers trying to flank them.  
_Damn it_, she thought to herself. _Troopers trying to outflank us, the Atlas pinning us down. We need something to break this_. She risked another look at the Atlas, trying to find weaknesses. The main body was all armatures and weapons covered by metallo-ceramic plating. The only weakness she could see was the view screen of the cockpit. It would have to be made of reinforced, mass-effect toughened glass and plastics, but that would be easier to penetrate than the plating.

Shepard ducked back down again as the gun swivelled in her direction, before she heard loud, heavy thuds as it started walking towards her position.  
_And now it gets worse_, she thought to herself as she pulled out her sniper rifle. She waited until she heard it break fire to cool its weapon systems, while the rest of her squad focused on keeping the Cerberus troopers from overwhelming their position. As the Atlas fired the third shot, Wednesday leaned out and took quick aim before squeezing the trigger. The shot was stopped by the mech's shields, and Wednesday cursed a little. As she dropped back into cover, she swapped for her assault rifle and swept her eye over the battlefield. Her team was holding their own against the troopers, but the Atlas pinning them down kept most of them from getting into better positions.

Vega was doing better now, with a few fights alongside an Addams under his belt. Solana was being more conservative, what with the lab debris and the Atlas shooting up the scenery, but was pairing well with Liara, the two using their biotics to great effect. Malra was holding her own, while Garrus and Lurch laid down suppressive, and often fatal, firepower. Wednesday leaned out at the next break and opened fire on the shield, the rapid-fire impacts weakening the mass effect field. She held on until the last moment, unleashing an electrical overload just as she ducked down. She smirked when she heard the distinctive sound of shields falling, swapping back to her sniper. Lurch fell as a shot from the Atlas smashed into him, but not enough to kill him again.

Wednesday leaned out of cover and sighted carefully down the scope, realising she would probably only get one shot at this. She concentrated and felt time slow a little, before she squeezed the trigger. The armour-piercing ammunition drilled a hole right through the toughened viewscreen, sending spiderweb cracks all along its surface. More tellingly, the mech lurched to the side, giving Wednesday a clue that her shot had hit the intended target: the pilot's brain. Standing up, she felt a few shots impact her shields before she was not there anymore, having performed a biotic charge to the Atlas. There was no time for finesse as she wreathed her hands in biotic power and punched right through the viewscreen, her fist closing around an exposed armour edge before her whole arm lit up and she hauled the dead pilot bodily from the cockpit, breaking most of the viewscreen in the process.

Once what was done, she took a second to look inside. Aside from the blood and broken screen, it was largely intact, so she made good use of it as she sat herself down and made a quick visual scan. There were two foot pedals and two hand controls, which she picked up. The left seemed to control the grabbing arm, while the right aimed the cannon. There were two buttons on the cannon control, the first of which she tested as she aimed at one of the Cerberus troops capitalising on Lurch's current horizontal state. The poor bastard was essentially vaporised as the large-bore, high explosive round hit his chest, causing him to become one big, messy explosion. Wednesday just laughed as she aimed the cannon again, watching the poor troopers trying to scramble out of the firing line. She pressed the second button and her eyes lit up as the cannon opened up and fired a homing rocket at her target, splattering him across the walls.

After that, it was largely a matter of wiping up the rest of the Cerberus troopers. With only one left and Wednesday advancing on him now that she had figured out the foot pedals, Samantha came back over the comm.  
"Commander, we performed a sweep and found a ship hiding on one of the smaller moons. Looks like a cruiser of some kind. I anticipated your order and shot it down, then gave the surrender order."  
"Good job Traynor," Wednesday said, before the boom of the cannon, the brief scream of the victim and the messy squelch of his various parts landing went over the channel.  
"Charming, Commander," Sam replied eloquently. "We'll keep on alert here, but we should be done now. Ready to receive you when you return."  
"Tell Chakwas she's going to have some old friends coming to visit," Wednesday said, before getting off the comm. She jumped out of the broken cockpit, and sighed resignedly that she wouldn't be able to take it with her. Once the Cerberus soldiers identified her as the major threat, they attacked it, damaging several systems beyond repair. She looked over the smoking near-wreckage and swore that she would take better care of the next one.

Wrex landed the shuttle none-too-gently just as the quarantine pod opened. The large krogan wrestled his way to the front, pushing Wednesday out of the way in an effort to reach out a helping hand to the female krogan. She looked down at the thick-fingered hand with contempt, knocking it away as she brushed past. Wrex and Wednesday shared a look.  
"Women," Wrex grunted. They were both alerted by the sound of a pair of Cerberus troops that had obviously been sneaking around and jumped at the opportunity to kill the female now she was out of the pod. Their first mistake was thinking that just because she was a female, she stopped being a krogan.

Their second mistake was attempting to take on a krogan within arm's reach of any kind of weapon. With a motion that was more graceful than any krogan Wednesday had ever seen, the female pivoted around Wrex, simultaneously using him as a shield with her left hand while unshipping his massive shotgun with her right. She finished moving around him and fired two blasts one-handed into her targets, leaving them bleeding and moaning on the ground. Wrex looked between them and the smoking barrel mere inches from his face with an impressed look, Vega with a shocked one, and Wednesday and the rest of her Addams with approval. Wednesday herself moved towards them in a likely fruitless attempt at interrogation, and her first question received only gurgles and grunts before he stopped twitching. Not wanting to waste an opportunity, she scanned his armour, particularly the boots, and then cut them off with her sword, intending to study them and perhaps replicate the effects. Anything to give her an edge in a fight.

* * *

It was a very crowded shuttle on the way back to the _Normandy_, and one thought that kept coming back to Wednesday as she shuffled around with severed legs in hand was that the mission would have done a lot better if she had some close-in air support of her own. She resolved that the next available opportunity, she would look into purchasing an interceptor and a pilot. Preferably Alliance surplus for both, as they would be the most compatible with the _Normandy_ systems. Besides, Victus had given her a substantial bonus for his extended stay with them, might as well use it for fun purposes. She kept trying to strike up a conversation with the krogan female, who steadfastly refused to give her name, or even anything resembling a name, but she kept passing in and out of consciousness. Malra and Mordin claimed it was her body's immune system adjusting to the changing environment, since Maelon's treatment and their own had left her with a weakened immune response and regenerative ability. They were hoping to correct that before they developed a more permanent, blanket treatment for the krogan.

After they docked, Mordin, Malra and the female went directly to the infirmary, where Chakwas was eager to help them set up the necessary facilities and discuss treatments, given her surprisingly complete xenobiological knowledge. The rest of the crew filtered to their stations, the mess or sleeping pods, after checking their weapons to Vega for after-action cleaning and service. Wednesday didn't need her crew to write reports, but she knew by the time she woke up, she'd have an extraordinarily detailed one from Garrus. It just proved the old adage to her that you can take the turian from Palaven, but you couldn't take Palaven from the turian. She didn't bother with such thoughts at the moment though, because she had a night in Liara's arms to look forward to.

When morning came, or at least what passed for morning on the _Normandy_, Wednesday made her way down to the infirmary. Chakwas had relegated herself to a corner while Mordin worked on a terminal and Malra worked with the krogan female.  
"Shepard, good to see you again," Mordin said as Wednesday approached. "Here to check up on Eve?"  
"Eve?" Wednesday asked.  
"Human ship, human mythology. Mother of species, according to some Earth religions. Seemed appropriate."  
"Huh," Wednesday said. "Well I was, but she isn't the only one I wanted to check up on," she added, giving Mordin himself a significant look.  
"Noticed, did you?" he asked, looking away.  
"You may fool other people, but I'm not so easily deceived."

Mordin nodded and waved for Wednesday to follow him as he led her to the door to what was formerly the AI core. The servers which now sported three advanced Alliance VI's working in parallel still couldn't provide half the computing power of EDI, but they kept the ship running now that she had a new body. As the door closed behind them, Mordin turned to her and seemed to wilt, as if all his years were catching up with him.  
"So, when are you due?" Wednesday asked bluntly.  
"Six months, no more. Advanced immune system failure. Not uncommon when you get as old as I am," Mordin replied sombrely. Wednesday nodded, salarians were known for their short life-spans.  
"How old are you, anyway?" Shepard asked.  
"Forty-three by standard," Mordin replied.  
"So, when were you going to tell Malra, or anyone else?"

"Wasn't," Mordin replied. "Galaxy at war, what's one more death from natural causes?"  
"One last scientific breakthrough before the end?" Wednesday asked.  
"Last chance to atone for mistakes, mine and others. Krogan have chance, if we can cure the genophage."  
"Then let's make sure they get that chance," Wednesday said, heading back out into the infirmary. Malra looked at them as they passed, before moving to her own terminal to process a tissue sample.  
"Here to put me out of my misery Commander?" Eve asked.  
"Not today," Wednesday replied. "Today, I wanted to learn a little more about you."

"I'm not telling you my name," Eve replied as she adjusted to get comfortable.  
"Why not?" Wednesday asked sweetly.  
"Because I don't have one anymore," Eve replied semi-harshly. "Years ago, after my tenth miscarriage, I faced a tough choice. Wander out into the deserts, face my death there. Or give up my name, give up myself, for something bigger than myself. The rites to become a shaman were… brutal. Designed to break you down as a person, then build up again for the Clan."  
"I've met the Urdnot Shaman, he said much the same."  
"He would know. He was the one who guided me in my own trials."  
"So you're from Urdnot?" Wednesday asked.  
"More or less," Eve replied.

"The trials to become a shaman… are gruelling… demanding. Starvation, beatings, things I'd previously been too scared to think about. The last trial… would have been the last either way. Either I would be reborn as a Shaman… or I would die."  
"What did it involve?" Wednesday asked. As an Addams, she was always curious to know more about the galaxy, particularly rituals of life and death.  
"I was buried alive in the catacombs of an old city. I was blind, scrabbling around in the dark with no food or water. I had to dig my way out with my bare hands, or starve. So I dug. Turned out, I went in the wrong direction. For two days I dug the wrong way, my fingers bleeding and scabbed, until I found this." She reached into the collar of her robe and pulled out a fine chain, on the end of which was a crystal of some kind.

"It became my shovel, my guide. It's an interesting little trinket, possibly unique to Tuchanka. When it heats up, it glows. As I used it, it gave me light, enough to see my way. Eventually, I came across an old sewage tunnel, found my way out. After that, I gave up my name to become a Shaman, to give myself for the good of the clan."  
"You'd make a fine Addams," Wednesday complimented. "We make the hard choices so that people can live in blissful ignorance of the harsh reality of the galaxy."  
"I'll take that as the compliment it was intended to be, not how it probably sounded," Eve replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a lot of sleep coming my way," the krogan added, her eyes lidding as she lay back.  
"Have a nice nap."

After Eve, Wednesday had a talk with Chakwas about the health of the crew. Vega and Solana had taken a few hits on Sur'Kesh, and it turned out a few of the new crew had brought in a few embarrassing diseases with them. One particular turian had obviously never heard of safe sex with any species. He had diseases normally only found in humans, asari, salarians, even a krogan fungus. Once she was done with the disgusting details, she had another call to make. She went upstairs to the communications suite and closed the door behind her to try and get some privacy.

"Shepard, I expected your call," Admiral Hackett said as the connection stabilised.  
"Yes, we've just finished being berated by the Dalatrass about the whole situation you apparently caused," Anderson added. "To hear her tell it, you apparently single-handedly decimated the STG forces down there and caused the loss of billions of credits worth of equipment and research."  
"While I'm not tempted to believe her sight unseen, I would like to hear it from you," Hackett said.  
"Well, it wasn't me personally," Wednesday said. "Our friend with the three-headed dog turned up to play. Brought some serious hardware to the party."  
"How did Cerberus know when or where?" Anderson asked.  
"I suspect we'll never know," Hackett replied.  
"I had Traynor perform an analysis, there was a signal that came from the STG base that went out to an unknown receiver. The signal itself was encrypted, not used by Cerberus or the STG, so we haven't figured it out yet. It's probably safe to assume that it was a sleeper agent, possibly indoctrinated or similar. Given that we know Cerberus had been working with Reaper technology, it's not a stretch to assume they've been using it to create agents of their own."

"That's a disturbing thought," Anderson said darkly. "That anyone could be working against us."  
"That's why we have Fester Addams' scanner, vaccine and cure for indoctrination," Wednesday replied. "I got word from him recently that he's perfected the vaccine and cure for the rest of the galactic menagerie as well."  
"I'm sure that will come as cold comfort to the salarian STG members who lost their lives to a single traitor who didn't even know he was one," Hackett mused. "Anyway, we'll let the Dalatrass know that her opinion, as free as she is to give it, is just that, opinion. Is there anything else arising from this situation?"  
"Yes, as a matter of fact. I need a fighter-interceptor, and a pilot for it. The reason Cerberus did as much damage as they did was that they had air superiority. The Kodiak shuttle isn't armed, armoured or manoeuvrable enough to provide the close-in air support I need. Primarch Victus was generous enough to pay for his room and board as long as he's on my ship, so I can afford the fighter itself, but I need a pilot."

"I think I can work something," Hackett said. "One of our cruisers took massive damage in a Reaper engagement. The repairs will take months if they happen at all, but the fighter compliment is still mostly intact. The most of the fighters and their pilots have moved on to other posts, but I'm sure we can come to an accommodation."  
"I think I know someone," Anderson said. "I'll forward on his file, see if you like the look of him."  
"Appreciate it David," Wednesday replied. "Alright, how are we going, long term prospects?"

"I'm not going to lie Shepard, it's not going well," Hackett replied. "The Reapers have us in technological and numerical superiority, and we can't predict their movements or strike patterns. Not to say we're taking it lying down, and we're moving civilians to fall-back points, but unless something major happens, I can't see us winning this."  
"That device you found, the blueprints from Mars, they're something we're investigating," Anderson added. "If their accurate, they would create destruction at a level unprecedented. We're still decoding and analysing them, but we think we're close to understanding them. Once we're confident, and convince the Council to back the project, we might have something to fight back with."  
"Until then, we need you out there Shepard," Hackett said seriously. "Whether you like it or not, you're a figurehead. People rally around you, trust you." Wednesday rolled her eyes, but she knew he was right. "The galaxy needs a leader. We make the decisions Shepard, but no-one in the galaxy knows the Reapers like you do, commands its respect the way you do."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Wednesday said. "I've got some salarian specialists on board working on the genophage cure, as well as the turian Primarch using my ship like the galaxy's cheapest call centre and what amounts to the krogan president holed up in my ship as well. So I'll be heading to the Citadel for sure to pick up supplies and try and spread some of the insanity that's come into my life. Anderson, if you have that pilot on the Citadel, I'll see him and maybe pick him up. Until then, maybe we can keep hoping that the galaxy will keep on spinning."  
"Amen to that," Anderson said before he cut the connection.  
"Hackett out," the other admiral said more formally, before he disappeared as well.

* * *

**A/N: I have no reasonable explanation for why this is late except that I've been unemployed for longer than I've ever wanted to be, and I finally may have something resembling employment happening in the near future, so wish me luck.**

**Also, kudos to ****Konda020946 for the suggestion of Malra, the neice of the very model of a scientist salarian.**


	6. Bomb Voyage

"Citadel again, huh?" Victus said as Wednesday exited the comm suite. He'd made himself a resident of the war room, using its expanded communication and analysis suites to maintain command and control over the vast turian military. The fact that it was a Spectre ship, with all the access that entailed, probably didn't hurt him either, nor was direct access to someone that (as far as he knew) was a highly-placed agent of the Shadow Broker. The fact that Liara was actually the part-time holder of the title was something neither she nor Wednesday felt secure entrusting him with.  
"Gotta spend all those credits you sent my way, and I've got just the thing planned," Wednesday replied as she walked through to the CIC to input their destination.

As she finalised their journey, she turned around to find Wrex limping out of the elevator to head to the war room as well, grumbling under his breath.  
"Why so glum, Wrex?" Wednesday asked with an insufferable smirk at the krogan's suffering.  
"Finally got ahead of that overgrown insect in the cargo hold, only to be cornered by that thresher-damned doctor and his she-devil of a niece," Wrex grunted. "Said they had important things to discuss, future of the krogan and all that. Got me on the table, scanned me, asked a few questions. Then they activated the restraints and told me they needed a 'tissue sample'."  
"Blood and so on?"  
"How I wish that was all they wanted," Wrex grumbled. "They used a lot of words that went right over my head, but the gist of it was they didn't want blood or muscle or anything like that. They went right for the good stuff." His large eyes jerked down significantly, and Wednesday put two and two together and realised exactly what kind of tissue Mordin had required.  
"The sacrifices we make for the greater good, eh Wrex?" she replied with a wry grin.  
"The way I feel right now, I don't think I could even get going with Eve, and believe me I'd love the privilege of being the first to get with that."

"Must suck to be you," Wednesday said cheerfully, as she left him to go and shout at his fellow krogan over the comms system. As for her, she needed food and sleep after the mission to Sur'Kesh. Liara joined her for the meal but not for the nap, as it was her time as the Broker and the network required a lot of her attention. Eight hours of sleep later and they had arrived on the Citadel, the surrounding space thick with ships of all descriptions. Though there wasn't a lot of quarian ships, which reminded Wednesday that she really needed to call Tali and find out what was going on over in that corner of the galaxy.

She put the thought from her mind though, because she was here for two main reasons. The first was a simple resupply, because you could never have too many provisions when supply lines could be cut at any time. The second was that during her nap, Wednesday had received an email from Hackett detailing where she could pick up her new fighter, as well as interview his and Anderson's pick for the pilot.

She had no problems finding where the cruiser had limped to the Citadel, as Alliance engineers were currently stripping it down for useful parts. Several of the fighters were sitting aside, including one being meticulously inspected by a tan-skinned individual in off-duty Alliance Navy fatigues. Given that the fighter he was inspecting was sitting where Wednesday had been told to pick it up, she assumed that it was probably the pilot she had been told about. She'd given his file a preliminary look before coming onto the Citadel and had been impressed. She was also confused as to why he'd stopped being a pilot nearly two years ago, and why Anderson had recommended him to her.

"You Cortez?" she called out to him. He turned to face her and stepped away from the fighter, picking up his bag and slinging it across his shoulder.  
"Yes Ma'am, Lieutenant Steven Cortez," he said as he approached. He noted the N7 insignia on Shepard's fatigues and gave a salute.  
"Oh, don't bother too much with that," Wednesday said. "Any reason you're pressing your nose on the glass of my new fighter?"  
"She's not just any fighter, she's an SX3 Spearhead. The only fighter in the last ten years that's actually better than the F-61 Trident they replaced. Lowest weight-to-drive-core size to give it excellent manoeuvrability, twin rail cannons and mounts for two missiles or torpedoes give it excellent tactical flexibility. In the right hands, this little beauty can harass ships much larger then itself, frigates easily and possibly even a cruiser."

"A man who knows his ship, I like it. Still doesn't say why you're getting your handprints all over my new toy," Wednesday said with her usual smirk.  
"Ma'am, this ship isn't a toy," Cortez replied vehemently. "In the wrong hands, you're got yourself a barely-controllable missile. As for me, this ship is a thing of beauty, and I like beautiful things. Haven't been in the cockpit in a while though. It's… a nice trip down memory lane."  
"Can't argue with that," Wednesday replied. "Though you might want to get familiar with it quickly."  
"Uh, what?" Cortez asked, stumped. "I was just here as a favour to Admiral Anderson. Said he needed some expert opinion or something."  
"Your favour to Anderson is really a favour to me lieutenant," Wednesday explained. "That Spearhead is going on the _Normandy_, but I don't have a pilot. That's where you come in."

"Woah, h-hold on a minute," Steve protested. "I'm not certified on the Spearhead, and I haven't piloted a fighter-interceptor since they retired the Trident."  
"Well then, you better get acquainted with it real soon. Congratulations Lieutenant Cortez, you've impressed me. That means you've just got yourself a brand new posting on the _Normandy_ as my premier fighter pilot."  
"I don't… what?" Cortez was thoroughly confused at this point, and Wednesday was enjoying it.  
"Surely you recognise me Lieutenant," Wednesday said, pointing to her face.  
"Commander… Shepard?" Cortez said slowly, as realisation dawned.  
"And you've just been drafted. As a Spectre, I get what I want Steven. Right now, that's you piloting this fighter to provide me close-in air and space superiority."  
"I don't know what to say," Steven said lamely.  
"You say 'Yes Ma'am' and ask where to report."  
"Yes Ma'am," Steven replied, realising he'd been outmanoeuvred. However, unlike so many of the other people who had been on the other end of Wednesday's cunning, Steven was still alive.

* * *

A day later, Wednesday was ready to leave the Citadel. The Spearhead had been relocated into the _Normandy's_ hangar bay, along with Steven who needed to learn the ropes very quickly. It helped for Cortez that he apparently knew Vega and had someone to take guidance from. He wasn't as disturbed by the presence of Anacrusis as Wednesday had thought, but Wrex unnerved him a little, as did Lurch. Apparently tall people unnerved him, or at least people taller than himself.

Mordin and Malra had apparently made a breakthrough in their research into a cure for the genophage. When Wednesday made polite enquiries, she got a lengthy, stereo lesson in krogan genetics, their regenerative ability and the original and modified genetic structure of the genophage. They continued about Eve's particular case and how Maelon had studied her and others like her with similar genetic quirks. What they had was apparently not a genetic mutation that reversed the combined genophage target sites, but one that with the proper stimulus would alter the functions of several other organs to provide a limited cure to the genophage. It wouldn't provide a cure to the genophage in totality, at least not to pre-genophage levels. It would provide a significant boost to fecundity levels though, one the krogan had been seeking for centuries.

As Mordin went back to humming to himself as another analysis finished, Malra said that using Wrex's generous 'tissue sample' they were a short way from a deliverable cure. Unless they had a major stumbling block, they could have the cure ready to deliver in days. Wednesday was glad to hear it, and told them they were heading to Tuchanka to get a feel for the locals and the best method of dispersal. Malra glanced over to her uncle with brief concern, before she agreed that it would be the best course of action and got back to work herself.

As Wednesday input the new destination at the command podium, she received a request from the Primarch in the war room as the _Normandy_ left the dock. Intrigued, Wednesday went back into the war room to find the Primarch staring at a hologram of a planet she could only assume was Tuchanka.  
"You wanted to see me?" she asked by way of introduction. He looked up at her and nodded, before walking towards the communication room. Wednesday followed, curious about the sudden need for secrecy.  
"I can only assume that our current course is a result of Professor Solus and his work on curing the genophage," he opened cryptically.  
"Correct," the Spectre replied.  
"Then I have some intel you'll want to hear first."

"Centuries ago, the Primarch at the time ordered not only the deployment of the genophage, but also several other 'worst case scenario' plans to end the Rebellions," Victus began. "I've only recently learned of them myself, since the files are sealed so only the current Primarch has access to them. One of those plans is why I'm talking to you now." He paused and pulled up a hologram of Tuchanka. "One scenario, before the salarians came forward with the genophage, was the threat of a bomb on the surface of Tuchanka."  
"Krogan don't respond to threats, hell, they barely respond to actual bodily violence. They treat it as a form getting each other's attention," Wednesday scoffed.  
"Yes, well, the krogan at the time weren't as well known to the turians of the past," Victus countered. "In any event, the bomb was placed in secrecy and then mothballed as the genophage was developed and deployed. However the bomb itself is still in place and poses a serious threat to the krogan alliance should it go off."  
"How big are we talking here?" Wednesday asked. "It would have to be huge to get the krogan's attention."

"In a word… devastating," Victus said sombrely. He pressed a button on his omni-tool and the hologram reacted, showing a massive explosive event and the resulting damage. "As you can see, my predecessors were very thorough in their contingency planning. The bomb is placed on top of a tectonically unstable region of the planet. A device the size of the Kelphic Bomb going off would shake up half the planet's surface in a way that would take centuries to recover from, essentially making the world unliveable for the interim."  
"For a race that places such a price on honour in warfare, you sure know how to commit war crimes," Wednesday replied with an impressed whistle. Even the Addams had only just entered the planet-killing club with her glassing of Aite after the horrible discoveries of Project Overlord.  
"When you know all the laws, crimes are disturbingly easy to commit," Victus said without humour.

"So, I assume you're telling me this because you want me to do something about it?" Wednesday said, getting back to the point.  
"No, I've already sent a team to deal with it," Victus replied calmly. "The problem is that the team I sent have gone missing."  
"Let me get this straight, you sent a team of turians to Tuchanka in order to defuse a potentially planet-killing bomb, in the middle of some seriously delicate negotiations with the krogan. Well, you're certainly not lacking for balls."  
"I don't need to remind you that if that bomb goes off, any hope of curing the genophage or securing a krogan alliance is off the table, and we lose this war," Victus said seriously.  
"Fine, I'll bite. You need me to go and look for your team."  
"It's more than just that," Victus added. "The team I sent, I needed to trust them completely to do the job, not let any prejudice blind them."

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this," Wednesday said. "I'm guessing you sent someone you trust implicitly."  
"I had to, I trust very few people, especially since I got this promotion," he replied. "I sent a team led by Lt Victus."  
"A relative?" she asked.  
"My son."  
"Ah… that complicates things."  
"I trust you understand the need for discretion in this situation. Urdnot Wrex, as much as he's an ally in this matter… I'm not sure I trust him to react as rationally as you have."  
"You know I'm going to have to talk to him about this," Wednesday said seriously.  
"I know, that's why I've told you. I'm trusting you to do this without setting off a major interspecies incident."  
"I see, a challenge then. Well, let's see what we fun we can have," Wednesday said with her smirk.

She left the comm room and Victus followed, heading back to the central analysis console while Wednesday went off in search of a krogan. She found him in the hangar once again, leaning against the bulkhead as usual, watching everyone and remaining stoically silent as always.  
"So, word is we're heading home," he said as Wednesday took up a lean on the bulkhead next to him.  
"Yeah, and I've got a favour I need to ask," Wednesday said. Wrex looked over to her and raised an eyebrow ridge in a silent request for elaboration. "I've got some intel on something on Tuchanka, something you probably don't know about."  
"Something in my hometown that I don't know about? That's some good intel you got there," Wrex said slyly.

"I have my sources Wrex, I'm a Spectre," Wednesday replied.  
"I'm sure you do. So what's the favour?" Wrex asked.  
"I need to do something on Tuchanka, and I need the krogan on the ground not to interfere."  
"That's a big favour Shepard. I'm going to call it in."  
"I know Wrex, but I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important."  
"We've got history Shepard, and you've been a better friend to the krogan than most krogan. Because of that, I'm going to help you with this. You say it's important, I'll believe you, but trust only goes so far."  
"You won't regret it Wrex," Wednesday said.

* * *

As the _Normandy_ came into real-space in the Aralakh system, the scanners automatically filled in details as they detected them. Apparently, the krogan homeworld didn't rate a major Reaper presence, or at least not the same level that Earth and Palaven had received, given the lack of Reapers in the system. The scanners did detect a few Reaper ships, but they were the smaller destroyers and transport ships, not the _Nazara_-sized capital ships. Wednesday assessed them as scouts, given the low amount of space-based resistance the krogan were known for.

Once they arrived in orbit, Shepard made a return trip to the war room to get some more details from Victus. He moved into the communication room and brought up a hologram of Tuchanka again.  
"So, we're here Adrien," Wednesday said. "You want your son and his team back, you need to give me some intel."  
"The last position the team sent was here," he said, highlighting the position on the planet. "I suspect they were flying low in an attempt to get under the sensors. The bomb is here," he added, highlighting the bomb location. "Planted in the Kelphic Valley, hence the name. Victus had an explosive expert on his team, though he has the codes and schematics to disarm the bomb himself, should it come to that."  
"Alright, I can use that. I'm not going to make any promises Adrien, but that bomb is not going to be detonated if I have any say in it."  
"Thank you Shepard. None of this is easy or necessarily fair, but I'm glad it's you doing it. After seeing you in action on Sur'Kesh, there's few people I'd rather put my trust in."

* * *

Shepard watched the shuttle sensors carefully, keeping half an eye on the position of Cortez as he flew close-in support. As they approached the last known coordinates, Shepard picked up a weak signal from the surface. There was a Reaper transport ship a few clicks away, but none of the destroyers were in the area.  
"I'm picking up a signal, standard turian encryption," Shepard said over the channel she had set up between the shuttle, Cortez and the _Normandy-A_. "I'm going in for a closer look. Cortez, fly a perimeter. Anything scary gets too close you put it down."  
"Aye Ma'am," Cortez replied, peeling off to establish a perimeter sweep. Garrus checked a few things with the shuttle's sensors from the co-pilot's seat as they got closer to the signal.  
"Looks like the Primarch's suspicions were correct," Garrus said as he analysed the sensor outputs. "Lt Victus tried to fly a corvette low through these ruins, but ran out of space and crashed. I'm picking up the black box distress signal as well as several intact escape pods, we should check them out for survivors. Hopefully, the EOD tech is still among the living."  
"If nothing else, Pugsley is just a call away," Wednesday suggested.  
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that, because the last thing that man-child needs is a planet-cracker."

Further discussion of Pugsley Addams and his proclivity for all things explosive was cut short as they came up on the only surface that could accommodate the shuttle near the obvious crash site. As the shuttle set down, Wednesday was the first one out, followed quickly by Garrus, Solana, Lurch, Liara and Vega. As the shuttle emptied, Wednesday turned it to remote-control, sending it to return to the _Normandy_ until she needed it.  
"Sam, EDI, are we patched into the turian channel?"  
"The Primarch was thoughtful enough to provide us the encryption channel his team was using," Sam replied. "I'm sending you the frequency." A second later, Wednesday's omni-tool beeped as the information was received. She pressed a few buttons on her interface and then pressed a finger to her ear to activate the comm channel.

"Calling Lt Victus, this is Commander Shepard, Council SPECTRE, do you read me?" Shepard asked. There was a burst of static, before the sound of a voice came back over the channel.  
"This is Lt Tarquin Victus of the 9th Platoon. My unit is pinned down by advance Reaper units near the remains of my ship. Casualties are getting heavier by the minute, we won't hold out for long."  
"I need you to hold until we get to your position Lieutenant," Shepard replied. "The ruins are causing interference, fire a flare so I can get your position." A few seconds later, a bright red missile flew into the sky from the south-west. "Alright, we're coming to get you. Don't you dare die on me."  
"Wouldn't dream of it Commander," came the semi-sarcastic reply, before the channel was cut.

Wednesday pulled out her shotgun, which would be better use in the close-quarters of the ruins, and used hand signals to get her team moving in the right direction. They moved into the ruins and found themselves with an unusual situation. Reaper ground units were already there, but they weren't shooting at them. Their attention was instead focused on an intact escape pod that they were trying to open. Wednesday, not one to let a good tactical situation go unutilised, signalled everyone to get into crossfire positions while she swapped out her sniper rifle and lined up a shot on the marauder that seemed to be leading them. She breathed out and squeezed the trigger, the single high-powered round piercing its shields, skull and the reanimated remains of its brain in one killing blow. Within a second, the rest of her team opened up, gunning down the Reaper forces and destroying them.

With the Reaper forces dead, it allowed Wednesday and her team to surge forward to secure the zone and open the escape pod. Wednesday opened the hatch to a bunch of guns in her face, but none of them fired when they saw the human face at the other end of the barrels.  
"You guys should come with us," Wednesday said, moving out of the way.  
"My men and I aren't just going to follow you, no matter who you are!" one of the turians replied.  
"Sergeant, you are way out of your depth here," Garrus said, stepping forward. "We've been sent by the Primarch himself to make sure your team and Lt Victus complete your mission."  
"General Vakarian, I didn't realise you were a part of this," the sergeant replied.  
"You really need to stop calling me that in front of people," Garrus said threateningly.  
"Of course Sir," the sergeant answered, throwing him a salute.

"Anyway, we need to get moving," Wednesday said, looking towards their target. Garrus rallied the remaining turians to fall in with the motley crew of the Normandy as they moved deeper into the ruins. A few hundred metres in they came across another escape pod, but the occupants hadn't been as lucky as the first. The pod had been damaged by a significant cannon hit, and the crew either died on impact, or the Reapers finished them off. As they passed the wreckage, a loud roar and the sound of beating wings could be heard.  
"Harvester!" Garrus shouted, ducking into cover. As Wednesday pulled in beside him, she switched channels to get Cortez.  
"Lieutenant, I've got an uninvited flying guest at my party, so now's the time to earn your pay!"

The harvester roared its mechanical roar as it overshot them, before turning in a wide arc and blasting them with the cannons under its chin. It almost reminded Wednesday of the geth colossus on Haestrom, particularly the way that one turian unlucky enough to be hit outside of cover by a shell was reduced to strings and meat. Wednesday kept an eye on their foe until she heard the familiar sound of the Spearhead fighter bearing down on them. As Cortez acquired a targeting solution he opened fire, the twin rail cannons blazing as the rounds tore the air itself apart to get to the target. The harvester's armour sparked and clanged as it took a beating, before the massive beast took off into the ruins.  
"I'm in pursuit, but that thing's much better suited to these ruins Commander," Cortez shouted over the comm channel.  
"Stay on him until he's dead or gone, then stick in close Cortez. I've got a feeling that isn't the last we've seen of him," Wednesday growled.  
"Aye aye," the pilot replied as he swerved through crumbling buildings and around fallen pillars.

The enlarged party continued trekking through the ruins, coming across another intact pod, this time with the crew out and holding a defensive position while the Reapers pinned them down. Wednesday sent the turians with Lurch and Garrus to the right to set up suppressing fire, while the rest of her team followed her to the left to set up a crossfire and variously wreak havoc with their individual talents. On her order, a powerful biotic attack, Liara and Solana unleashed their own biotics to devastating effect while Vega threw some plasma grenades around, while the turians backed by Lurch's heavy auto-cannon tore holes in the Reaper offensive. It took mere moments for Wednesday's two-pronged assault, back up by the entrenched turians' firepower, to overwhelm the Reaper forces and destroy them.

Wednesday's smirk turned into a frown when she heard the harvester coming in for an encore.  
"Cortez, where are you?"  
"I lost the harvester in the ruins, I'm coming in for another pass. Hold on, I've spotted Lt Victus' position, he's got problems of his own."  
"Aid Victus then, we'll deal with our own pests," Wednesday ground out in annoyance. Having Cortez there to provide fire support was definitely helping, but these ruins were not. She would have to deal with that irritation later though, as the harvester landed heavily and began raining down shells on the pod and its defenders. She swapped out for her sniper rifle, hearing Garrus and several other turians do the same while Lurch just adjusted the angle on his cannon and opened fire again. A blindingly-bright stream of metal sprayed at the Harvester, gouging large holes in its armour while Wednesday and the other snipers aimed for vulnerable areas such as its multitude of photoreceptors. Several of the larger eyes were taken out while Lurch caused a few significant wounds that leaked black ichor before the harvester decided to cut its losses and retreat.

Wednesday rushed forward to the wounded turians, thankfully most of them were able to stand after an infusion of medi-gel. The ones that didn't were beyond the skill of the turian first-aiders except to stabilise and promise attention to later, if they survived. Her numbers bolstered, Wednesday continued through the ruins, knowing she was advancing on her target. As she did, the grumbling of several of the turians behind her didn't escape her cybernetically-enhanced hearing.  
"Victus went too far this time," one whispered.  
"When we're done here, he's finished," another replied.  
"Court-martial, or get it out of the way and go right to the sentence?" another asked.

Wednesday considered berating them, before they came across a scene of devastation. The corvette the turians had used was wrecked, not even the most dedicated salvagers would use it for anything other than scrap. Arrayed around it in a crude yet working defensive position was Victus and the largest remains of the 9th Platoon, holding the line against a massive Reaper force complete with three harvesters, included their wounded friend from before. As Wednesday watched, several of the turian/krogan brute monstrosities surged forward, though were pushed back by the twin lines of impacts as Cortez performed another strafing run.  
"For the 9th Platoon!" Wednesday heard one of the rescued turians say before they formed a firing line and opened fire into the Reaper forces rear and flanks. Wednesday left them to their own thing and swapped out for her pistol and katana _Vengeance_, looking significantly over to Solana. The lithe little turian nodded in agreement, pulling out twin pistols and extending the blades from her gauntlets. The next moment the two of them were little more than blurs as they charged right into the fray.

Wednesday was careful to avoid getting into the way of the turian fire as she advanced on husks and cannibals, getting in close to decapitate and impale with her sword, while delivering massive damage to brains and organs with her pistol at point-blank range. Several times she noted where Liara had performed attacked with warps, singularities and lift fields, and took advantage of them to use her own biotics to detonate the asari's in an unstable explosion of dark energy and gravitic anomalies. Garrus coordinated fire from the turians, Lurch and Vega, trying as much as possible to anticipate the movements of Solana and Wednesday as they charged about the battlefield, disrupting enemy lines and causing chaos and destruction in their wake.

Soon enough, the Reaper forces were reduced to their heavily-armoured units, brutes and harvesters.  
"Garrus, focus on the harvesters! Liara and Solana, biotics on the brutes!" Wednesday ordered over the comm channel. The turians with Garrus switched targets, some of them switching out for their more powerful sniper rifles and forming a veritable wall of bullets that took down a harvester with sustained fire. Cortez took out the wounded one and managed to get the other one into the air to deal with him as the bigger threat. Meanwhile, Liara focused on using warp attacks on the brutes, damaging their heavy armour while Wednesday and Solana detonated the attacks with their own biotics, disrupting the monstrosity's impulse to charge them and get into close combat with their jagged claws. Solana got in a lucky escape as one of them managed to charge her and she did the only thing that came naturally to her, she performed her own biotic counter-charge. However, given the blades on her gauntlets, instead of just appearing in a different place along the vector, she held out an arm as she passed, the biotic blades slicing deeply into the shoulder joint and tearing the massive mechanical arm right out of the socket, literally disarming her opponent.

Wednesday wasted no time in capitalising on the opening and charged in on the wounded foe, the shockwave of her charge disorienting the brute long enough for her to get out her shotgun and blast it in the open shoulder socket, the flechettes doing massive internal damage and bringing the beast down. After finding a successful combination, the two of them worked in concert with each other and Liara to open up weak spots in their armoured hides and destroy them. As the last harvester was finally taken out by Cortez and fell to the ground, exploding in a wet, messy detonation, the entrenched turians risked standing up to meet their rescuers.

"Lieutenant Victus?" Wednesday called out.  
"Commander Shepard, my thanks. We would have lost a lot more men if the Primarch hadn't sent you," a younger turian called out as he moved to talk to Shepard.  
"We wouldn't have needed rescuing if it wasn't for you!" one of Victus' men shouted, grabbing at his armoured cowl. Wednesday had seen it before, the stress of combat combined with adrenaline levels dropping, leading to men and women doing things they'd never normally do.  
"Stand down soldier!" Victus ordered.  
"These men are dead because of him!" the turian continued.  
"They are dead because of the Reapers, and you're alive because of me," Wednesday said forcefully, putting her glare on the crazed turian. He lasted less than a second under her Addams-level fear inducing gaze before he let go of Victus and stepped back to join the 9th Platoon as it regrouped around 'General' Garrus Vakarian. Wednesday made a mental note to give him a good ribbing later about letting that particular detail stay quiet.

"I'm only going to ask once, what happened?" Wednesday said, shifting her glare to Lt Victus.  
"I made a bad call," he said defeatedly. "I chose clever tactics and caution over a head-on assault, and my men paid the price."  
"I see no mistake in that," Wednesday replied seriously. "You were working with unknown terrain against an unknown force. You followed your father's example and used unusual tactics, but you learned the hard way that rewards is dealt in equal measure with risk. The only mistake you can make now is in not owning your decision, and the consequences of it."  
"You're right, and I'm sure my father would say the same," Tarquin replied. "We need to head back to the fleet and regroup, refit and plan our next move."  
"You're abandoning your mission?" Wednesday said, unimpressed.  
"I've lost a third of my men, trying to continue now would be suicide!" Victus shouted.

"I took on the Collectors and won with less than ten, you can sure as hell secure and defuse a bomb with two-thirds of a platoon!" Wednesday countered firmly.  
"My men have lost hope Commander, I can't make them!"  
"That is where you are wrong," Wednesday said with a soft, menacing tone. "I haven't died and been brought back to life, I haven't killed things people said were invincible, I haven't forged alliances people said were impossible, for you and the 9th Platoon to wimp out on me now." She turned to Garrus, who was organising the retrieval of the wounded from further back. She shared a look with him, full of hidden communication, before she turned back to Victus.

"You're a soldier Victus, and so is each and every turian you brought with you. That means you follow orders, and as their Lieutenant it not only means giving those orders, but it means making them want to follow them. Now, I don't particularly care how, but you are going to inspire these men, and you are going to do it quickly. Are we clear?" The gaze she turned on him left no doubt in the young Lieutenant's mind on what probably would happen to him if he dared to answer no to her question.  
"Unquestionably," Tarquin replied with what little spine he had remaining, before he turned to his men.

"Listen up, this isn't about how you feel about my decisions. This is about getting in there and completing our mission!" he shouted at them.  
"Oh, but it is about how we feel, because you're decisions keep getting us killed!" the dissenter shouted back.  
"Irrelevant!" Tarquin shouted back, showing the officer material he had buried temporarily under his self-doubt. "Court-martial, death and dishonour is what you're going to get if you disobey my orders. We are _turian_! That means we finish our mission, or we die trying!"  
"That's all well and good _Lieutenant_," spat a corporal, sarcastically emphasising the rank. "However, in case you haven't noticed, your orders crashed our ship. It's nearly 500 clicks to the target site through Reapers and krogans and Spirits-knows what else!"  
"Then we get there on foot for all I care! We are the 9th Platoon, and we do not fail!" Victus shouted, his tone full of patriotic fervour. He seemed to have swayed the remnants of his men, so Wednesday decided to intervene on his behalf. It wouldn't do for the 9th to lose more men that it needed to just getting there when she could easily accommodate them on the Normandy. True, the shuttle ride up would be a little cramped, but that was acceptable.

"I've got a shuttle coming in soon, and you're all going to get on it!" Wednesday shouted, loud enough to be heard by all of the turians.  
"You heard the Commander, get your asses in gear and let's move!" Victus ordered. With that the turians snapped back to reality, bolstered no doubt by Garrus' nod at Victus, and began to organise themselves.  
"Thank you Commander," Victus said as he turned back to Wednesday.  
"Don't thank me yet Lieutenant," Wednesday replied. "Your commanding officer is no doubt going to want to talk with you before we head to the bomb site."  
"You mean General Vakarian?" Victus asked.  
"No, higher than me," Garrus said with a smirk.  
"That means…" Victus trailed off, his pupils dilating as the implications hit home. "Oh no."  
"But yes," Wednesday said with her own smirk. She left him trembling as she called down the shuttle to take them all back to tne Normandy for a sitrep update from Lt Victus, and a planning session with Primarch Victus.

* * *

As the _Normandy_ moved back up to orbit, Lt Victus was taken by the Primarch into the secure comm room for nearly an hour, while Wednesday and one of the senior sergeants left from the 9th Platoon helped her fill in some detail on the target and the location.  
"Commander, I'm getting some very weird signals from that location," Sam said as she ran a signal analysis.  
"Weird how?" Wednesday asked.  
"It's got an odd mix of encryptions," Sam replied. "It's similar to the Cerberus encryptions we've come across previously, but it also has a few differences. The code suggests something almost like… Reapers," she added ominously.  
"Well, we knew they were messing around with Reaper technology," Wednesday replied. "Getting subverted by them is only the next logical step. So, we have what is likely Cerberus at the bomb site."  
"A lot of them, given the volume of signal chatter," Sam replied. "It's odd, the strength of the signals coming from the surface to orbit suggests there's a ship there, a frigate or possibly even a cruiser. The _Normandy's_ sensors didn't detect any Cerberus ships in orbit though."

"They could have been hiding, the same way they did on Sur'Kesh," Wednesday mused. "They did rebuild the _Normandy_, it's possible they copied more of the technology than they let on, installed stealth systems on other ships."  
"If that's the case, it's seriously disturbing," Garrus replied. "The amount of damage they could do with cloaked ships…" he trailed off, leaving the imagination to run wild.  
"In any event, there's more Commander," Sam continued. "Based on the signal patterns, Cerberus has another presence on the surface." Samantha pressed a few buttons on the console, highlighting a spot on Tuchanka a few hundred clicks away.  
"So, we have them at the bomb site, and somewhere else as well," Garrus thought out loud. "The territory is outside Urdnot, so Wrex might not have much intel."  
"Can't hurt to ask him," Wednesday mused. "Garrus, you coordinate with the Primarch to continue the 9th's mission while I go talk to Wrex."

Shepard left the turians talking tactics among each other. She got a look at the Victus father and son as they came out of the comm room, the father looking stern and the son looking stricken. She walked confidently towards the elevator, assured in the knowledge that she would find Wrex in the hangar. When the doors opened, she couldn't help but smirk when she saw that instead of fighting each other, Wrex and Anacrusis had put aside their differences in order to spook the 9th Platoon.  
"Wrex, if you're done scaring the poor turians into the corner, I've got a question for you."  
"Meh, these little whelps are too easy," Wrex said with a wry grin. He sidled over to the elevator and moved to occupy his favourite position, leaning against the bulkhead.

"So, what's got you coming down here talking to me with the Primarch up there to keep you company?" he asked in his low, growly voice.  
"Got a question for you, Mr Clan Chief," Wednesday said, pulling up the information on the second Cerberus target. "I've got this location of interest, and I wanted to ask you if you had any information about it." Wrex looked at it carefully, looking at the geographical and sensor data Wednesday had provided.  
"Dunno why you're interested in that," he eventually spoke. "It hasn't been used in nearly a thousand years."  
"What is it?" Wednesday asked.  
"It's an old surface-space cannon. One of the last the turians dismantled after the end of the Rebellions."

"Well… that makes sense I suppose," Wednesday mused quietly.  
"This something I need to be worried about?" Wrex asked with a look askance at Wednesday.  
"No, but it's something you'll probably need to clean up later," Wednesday replied.  
"That favour you owe me is getting bigger every time you say something like that," Wrex said dangerously.  
"I know Wrex, I know."

Wednesday took the elevator back up to the war room to find the turians deep in discussions.  
"Well, I've got good news and bad news," Wednesday said as she moved to the central console. "Good news, I know what Cerberus is interested in right here," she said, pointing to the map. "Bad news, it's an orbital cannon."  
"That shouldn't be possible, all of those were dismantled," Garrus said.  
"Not impossible," Adrien Victus interjected. "The facilities were heavily fortified, and the records were a little vague on the methods of dismantling. It's possible that the weapons were rendered inoperable but the infrastructure left intact. Given the strictness of the DMZ enforcement, the krogan were never in a position to reactivate the weapons. However, with the Reapers diverting most of our forces from the Tuchanka blockade to the defence of Palaven, it's possible that Cerberus has taken advantage and rearmed the facility."  
"Well, we know the who and the how, and we can probably work out the why," Wednesday said. "I'd say they're likely to use it as cover for their ships, probably shoot at enemy ships as well to cause maximum chaos."

"In any event, we can't allow them to maintain control of the facility," Garrus said.  
"Right, but the bomb is important as well," Wednesday said. "We need to move forward with that at the same time."  
"My men and I can move in and perform recon on foot while you assault the orbital cannon," Tarquin Victus piped up.  
"I like your initiative Lieutenant," Wednesday said. "I think I'll take you up on it."  
"Be careful, Cerberus have some powerful toys now," Garrus warned the younger Victus.  
"We'll be careful then," the lieutenant replied.  
"Alright, we've got our assignments, let's get to it," Wednesday said, effectively ending the meeting.

* * *

Wednesday and Cortez flew in close formation as they moved towards the orbital cannon facility. The _Normandy_ had taken them to the edge of the atmosphere before separating, Joker piloting the 9th Platoon somewhere they could move to the bomb location on foot in order to give Wednesday time to move on the orbital cannon and perform thorough reconnaissance on the area. As they approached the cannon facility low, the air shook as the shockwave of its fire passed through their small craft.  
"Looks like Cerberus got that cannon up and running," Cortez said over the comm.  
"Kind of them to do all the work," Wednesday replied. "All we have to do now is take it."

Wednesday pushed a little more speed as she came in, aiming for a flat surface she spied near the power generators. Already under fire from the Cerberus forces on the ground, Wednesday landed and turned the shuttle guns on them, killing a few and sending the rest into cover as she turned the ship sideways and opened the hatch. Lurch and Vega dived out first, laying down withering suppressive fire from their rapid-fire guns. Under their cover Garrus, Liara, Solana and Wednesday piled out of the shuttle, Wednesday sending it a few clicks away on auto-pilot.  
"Since they've got the gun working, we need to get to the control room!" Wednesday ordered. She leant out of cover and used her omni-tool to hack the IFF of a turret deployed by an engineer, which rapidly turned on the closest Cerberus target and opened fire. Caught off-guard by the treacherous machine, the Cerberus forces were no match for Wednesday as she and her team ploughed through them, making a beeline for the control room.

Only a few assault troopers and engineers were stationed in the control room, looking over the small facility. Wednesday and her team poured into the room and gunned the Cerberus forces down quickly, before they came across two problems. The first was that while they had a commanding position, they were also boxed in by the Cerberus forces. Most of the team took up positions where they could harass the Cerberus troopers, the height advantage giving them a tactical advantage on their foes. Wednesday moved to the computer banks, ancient krogan constructions patched with state-of-the-art human interfaces. They may have been crude, but they were effective enough. She quickly gleaned that the first shot had been aimed at one of the few turian ships in orbit still maintaining the krogan blockade. It had missed, but they had used it as a calibration shot so the next wouldn't. From what she could gather, they were aiming to clear a path for the Cerberus cruiser to bombard the surface, providing a massive distraction for the krogan while they finished working on the turian bomb.

While she admired the tactical sense, Shepard was in no way going to let it happen. She quickly booted up her omni-tool and began hacking into the target controls. She had just gained access to the targeting computer when the control room went dark.  
"Damn it, they cut the power!" she shouted.  
"I see them!" Garrus said, punctuating his statement with a shot from his long rifle. "They won't be doing that again, but I can't fix it with this beauty."  
"Cover me then, I'm going in," Wednesday said, activating her geth cloak. The world shimmered before her eyes as the personal stealth device hid her from sight and sensors, before she made her way down the ramp towards the loading dock she had spied. It led to a ladder back to the power generators, but also to Cerberus reinforcements.

"Cerberus didn't like whatever you've done!" Cortez shouted over the comm. "I'm picking up three shuttles and two gunships inbound."  
"Take care of them Cortez," Garrus replied for Wednesday. Cortez knew when to follow orders and lined up one of the shuttles in the Spearhead's sights before lighting it up, the twin rail cannons tearing through the shuttle's hull and the occupants in equal, messy measure. The gunships peeled off and began chasing the nimble fighter through the ruins in a deadly game of cat and mouse while the shuttles dropped off their occupants, significantly boosting the Cerberus presence on the ground. Garrus just grinned as he forced himself to stay calm, lining up a new target and blasting chunks out of them with macabre glee.

Wednesday made good time to the power generators, thankful that the Cerberus troopers were preoccupied with Garrus and her team defending the control room. She carefully opened the casing on the manual override console, tapping into the ancient computer code with her omni-tool to deactivate any traps before moving the switch to the on position. She performed this on both consoles, the ages having corrupted the need to have done the two consoles simultaneously. That task done, she carefully removed her sword from its sheath and combined it with her pistol before letting the cloak deactivate. The Cerberus forces closest to her looked up in horror as she appeared right behind them, before two quick slashes had their heads resting at her feet.  
"My turn," she said to mostly herself as she became a blur. Her biotic charge took her to a Cerberus position, her sword already out and swinging as she emerged from the charge, slicing off the arm of an officer. Her pistol shot two more point-blank, the shoddy armour not even impeding the path of the bullets before they ended the Cerberus trooper's existence. As she ended the trio she had charged into, she only had time to see the targeting laser home in on her chest before a powerful impact sent her crashing to the ground.

Wednesday was winded as she landed, but still alive. She stayed low as she gave herself an inspection. There was no nerve damage, and when her hand came back into view there was no blood on it. She did have a massive headache, which was probably caused by her personal biotic barrier failing as it slowed the projectile. The pain was matched by the ache in her left side as her armour absorbed the rest of the impact energy. She gave herself a second to reorient herself before she reactivated her personal barrier and got back to her feet. She went over the angle of the attack and how she was standing in her mind, before orienting herself and standing up again. She locked her eyes on the only sniper she could see and charged. The sniper only had time to let out a choked scream before she was silenced permanently by Wednesday's sword.

It took a few more minutes of combat before the final Cerberus forces were taken out, including the gunships that Cortez had been dogfighting. As Wednesday rejoined her team in the control room, the computer gave out an alert that the cruiser was altering course towards the turian patrol ships.  
"Let's give Cerberus a nice surprise," Wednesday said as she booted up the targeting computers again. It took only a few keystrokes to align the recalibrated gun on the Cerberus cruiser, before she pressed the fire controls and the cannon fired deafeningly. Wednesday looked up at the sky and grinned like a maniac as she saw the starburst of the explosion, and the trails as the debris fell through the atmosphere and burned.  
"I can kinda see what Pugsley keeps talking about," Garrus said as he stepped up beside her.  
"Yeah, but we're not done yet. By the time we reach the Kelphic Valley, Lt Victus should have the recon done," Wednesday replied, summoning the shuttle remotely. "After that, we'll let Wrex know about that cannon. I'm sure he'll be thrilled."

* * *

As the shuttle approached the zone Victus had identified as the best drop zone for the shuttle, Wednesday got the Lieutenant on comms.  
"I'm on approach Victus, what else have you got for me?"  
"Cerberus may not have been here long, but they worked fast. They've excavated the bomb and reactivated it as far as we can tell."  
"Well, so much for easy," Wednesday muttered. "Is it possible that we can destroy it? I've got a Spearhead with me."  
"Negative Commander, the bomb was designed with a tamper-proofing device. If we try and destroy it with anything less than a cruiser bombardment, it'll detonate. And that level of firepower would do more collateral damage than the bomb itself."  
"Alright, I assume you have the ability to defuse it," Wednesday asked,  
"I do, as does Corporal Saratin. We're both waiting for your arrival at the far side of the compound. I'm hoping that a two-pronged assault will confuse the Cerberus troops deployed in the area."

"Alright, my ETA is three minutes, lock and load lieutenant," Wednesday said.  
"Aye Commander, we'll be waiting," Victus replied. Wednesday closed the comm and focused on piloting the Kodiak into the fray. As she came down a hail of explosions followed her, likely mortars from the troops on the ground, waiting for her to land. Wednesday snarled as the shuttle rocked, turning the Kodiak's guns on the enemy troops for the second time that day before landing. Similar to before, Lurch and Vega piled out first with heavy supporting fire, allowing the rest of Wednesday's team to get into firing positions, Solana and Garrus ducking left while she and Liara moved right. The six-person team proved effective at clearing the landing zone, securing it long enough to send the shuttle away again.

"Victus, I'm down and moving," Wednesday said as she stood up, signalling her team.  
"Acknowledged," the turian replied. Shepard moved into the ruins quickly, her team backing her up. As they rounded a building's corner, it was quickly revealed that Cerberus had dug in and were prepared for a fight. Dozens of troopers and officers were waiting, along with engineers who were maintaining gun turrets, shield boosters and portable cover. At Wednesday's signal Lurch rounded the corner first, his heavy shields and armour absorbing massive amounts of firepower as his heavy cannon dished it out. The rest of the team used the cover fire from the towering zombie to get into better positions to fire at their foes. Liara and Solana teamed up, using their biotics to devastating effect, while Wednesday engaged in technological warfare with the Cerberus engineers. Though the effects she managed didn't last for long, the cumulative effect of shield boosters failing a critical moments, temporary cover shorting out and turrets shooting friendlies added up. Combined with the grinning, almost gleeful destruction the Addams were laying down, it meant that while the Cerberus defenders were tenacious, they were also doomed.

After defeating their foes, Wednesday and her team advanced once more. Deeper into the ruins they trekked, engaging the few defenders left to oppose them as they moved. They jumped down a crumbling ledge to find a Cerberus defensive position in the act of being abandoned, the troopers using their rocket-powered footwear to jump to the evac shuttle. Wednesday managed to get off a single shot with her sniper rifle before the armoured hatch closed, so she was unsure if she hit her target. She snarled as the shuttle began to lift away, partly because she didn't like escaping enemies, but also because she hadn't had time yet to study the boot she'd scavenged on Sur'Kesh and make some of her own.  
"Cortez, I've got a shuttle leaving the zone, shoot it down," Wednesday ordered the interceptor pilot.  
"I'm seeing more than one Shepard," Cortez replied. "I don't think I'll be able to get them all."  
"Shepard, I've got Cerberus forces retreating," Victus said over the comms. "That means we've only got a few minutes."  
"Then we'd better hurry, because dying is definitely not on my list for today!" Wednesday shouted back, her team breaking into a run.

As they rounded a final corner, they got their first look at the bomb that could break Tuchanka.  
"That's a big bomb," Solana said, summing up the feelings of everyone looking at it.  
"Shepard, my team has arrived at the detonator, and Saratin is working to defuse it," Victus said over comms.  
"We're in visual range, we'll back you up shortly," Wednesday replied, jogging towards a ramp at the base of the bomb structure. As they came in range, they saw Saratin working at a computer console while Victus organised the 9th into defensive positions.  
"Lieutenant, Cerberus set up a firewall around the trigger code. I'm working around it, but it'll take time."  
"Keep working Saratin," Victus replied. "I don't like this Commander," he said quietly to Wednesday. "Cerberus pulled out fast, but this position is exposed. I can't help but feel it's a trap."

Wednesday didn't reply, because her attention was caught by the fleeting sight of a targeting laser on Saratin's forehead. She dived forward, tackling the turian to the ground an instant before the sniper round would have blown his head clean off. Instead, the round took him in the shoulder, a wound that wouldn't be fatal, but would significantly impair him.  
"Sniper, take cover!" Victus shouted, dropping to one knee. One of his men didn't move fast enough and was taken by the next round.  
"Shot came from over there," Wednesday said as she came up to a kneeling position. "Victus, you stay here and cover Saratin, make sure this bomb does not go off. Solana, you're with me, we're going hunting!"

Solana nodded her head curtly, extending her gauntlet blades once again while Wednesday pulled her sword. The two of them disappeared in twin blurs as they charged, appearing at a higher vantage point. Solana saw the sniper first, charging in again and decapitating her. From her higher vantage point, Wednesday was the first to see the approaching shuttles before Cortez reported in.  
"Commander, I shot a few down, but they pulled a hard turn and are headed back your direction. I'm also picking up something coming in from orbit, a pod or something from the cruiser that survived."  
"Keep it up Cortez," Wednesday replied. "Garrus, we've got Cerberus coming back to finish us off, you know what to do."  
"Oh, I've got something special for them," Garrus responded. Wednesday watched as her favourite turian swapped out his assault rifle for his special sniper rifle, one he only used sparingly because it would normally be overkill, and the recoil really hurt. Garrus unfolded the M-98 Widow they had salvaged from the Collectors, braced it on a piece of broken wall and lined up a shot.

Wednesday watched with satisfaction as the shuttles came in, harassed by Cortez and the rearmost one falling to his cannons. The front one made a beeline for the control station until Garrus lovingly squeezed the trigger, the anti-tank round piercing the viewscreen precisely where the pilots head would be. Wednesday knew Garrus would stroke the rifle, his one true love, as the shuttle veered wildly downwards and crashed into oblivion. That still left more shuttles than she liked, as well as whatever was coming down from the cruiser. She and Solana ran down to meet the shuttles, saving their energy for their biotics.

As the shuttles arrived, Cerberus discarded finesse for crude numbers. The four surviving shuttles turned wildly and opened their hatches, disgorging their occupants who used their jump-boots to slow them down for their landing. They were met with suppressing fire from the 9th Platoon and Wednesday's team, but it wasn't enough to contain all of them. Wednesday and Solana charged in as well, adding their own biotic chaos to the surging tides of battle. As Wednesday skewered a shield-bearing trooper, the thing from the cruiser made itself known in the form of a partially-damaged Atlas mech. Cursing her luck that once again it was damaged, Wednesday charged right at it, sword in front as she aimed for the cockpit. Whether by accident or design the pilot turned the suit at exactly the right moment, Wednesday getting batted aside by the grabbing arm instead of crashing through the canopy.

She flew through the air, and a wall, before she came to rest, spitting out a mouthful of blood and smiling maniacally. There was nothing she loved more than a good fight, after all. Picking up her sword again she looked up at the Atlas bearing down on her, picking her as the biggest threat. Wednesday could use that, especially given its slow speed. She darted out of cover, her feet landing just in front of the explosive rounds that were fired at her. She came in closer as she circled, getting ahead of the shells and seeing its side and back. Smiling wider, she put on a burst of speed to get behind it, seeing for the first time the spinning drive core that it must use when descending through atmosphere. She charged once more onto its hunched back, her fingers glowing biotic purple as they gripped the armoured carapace. The pilot obviously knew what she was doing, and tried valiantly yet vainly to try and shake her off with erratic movements. Wednesday just flowed with them, not perhaps as gracefully as she did on the ballroom floor during the mamushka, but well enough that she held on with one hand while she grabbed a grenade with the other. Pressing the switch and jamming it into the spinning core, and made sure it was tightly wedged in before jumping clear. The Atlas turned on her as she landed, but the grenade exploded before the pilot could fire, shredding him as the drive core detonated.

Wednesday turned around to hunt more enemies, but her team had already done that. Wednesday settled for heading back up to the control station, where with Victus' help Saratin was finishing bypassing the Cerberus firewall.  
"I'm in, disarming the detonator," Saratin said as Wednesday approached. As the final key was pushed, a red warning flashed across the screen and a timer came up and began counting down.  
"Spirits, they added a failsafe," Saratin cursed. "The only way to disarm it now is to physically remove the detonator from the explosive matrix."  
"You stay here, try anything, everything you can think of," Victus said. "I'm the only one left who knows the bomb in enough detail to pull the detonator, I'll go up. Cover me, Commander!"

Victus ran to one of the arms holding the bomb up, quickly scaling the ladder upwards. He carefully moved across the beam to the bomb itself, using the access code the Primarch had given him to override the safeties and access the detonator mechanism. A cylinder came up in the centre of the bomb, which Victus crossed to in a few paces and turned a full revolution before slamming it back down. The four connector arms acknowledged the mechanical release and moved, three of them rising mechanically upwards. The fourth shot up a wave of sparks and smoke as millennia-old mechanisms succumbed to the passage of time and failed. Victus cursed loudly and ran over to the arm, knowing he'd have to climb down it to physically pull the pins. He shimmied down the rails and pulled the cover panel, pulling the first pin quickly. The whole mechanism lurched jarringly and Victus grabbed the rail tighter instinctively.

Unseen below, one surviving Cerberus trooper, wounded but not yet dead, raised his weapon and fired at the turian on the bomb. Most of his shots missed, and he never got to fire a second volley as Garrus took him in the forehead, but the one shot that did hit Victus was crucial, as it hit the arm holding the rail. Pain overriding his focus for a moment, Victus lost his grip on the railing and grabbed the only thing he could with his free arm, the final pin.  
"For Palaven," he shouted, before pulling his bodyweight down, freeing the pin and dropping both the connecting arm, and the detonator, free of the explosive matrix before it crashed to the ground.

As he fell, the young lieutenant was caught with a biotic tendril by Liara, who tried to pull him towards the command station. Unfortunately for her, the detonator, while removed from the major component of the planet-cracking bomb, was still a massive explosive in its own right. As the timer ticked down it exploded, sending a wave of lethal shrapnel in the one direction it could go: directly upwards, where Victus' body was still floating. Liara screamed in frustration and pulled him closer quickly, but by the time he was caught by the men of the 9th Platoon, it was obvious that the only way he was leaving Tuchanka was in a coffin.  
"For… Palaven," Victus said weakly with his last breath, coughing up a bubble of blood before he breathed his last. Garrus closed the dead man's eyes in reverence, before turning to the 9th Platoon.  
"Lieutenant Tarquin Victus, and the others of the 9th Platoon who died here on Tuchanka, died as heroes," he said solemnly. "They did their duty, died for it, died believing in it. _That_ is what being a _turian_ is. Remember that in the days to come."

* * *

"You put a _bomb_ on my _planet_!?" Wrex shouted.

Wednesday knew this was coming, ever since she'd asked Wrex to hold off the krogan while she and the 9th Platoon dealt with the bomb. They'd only just made it back onto the _Normandy-A_ when Wrex barged into the war room, shouting at the Primarch.  
"The genophage wasn't enough!?" Wrex growled.  
"Don't try and claim the krogan are blameless in this either, Wrex," the Primarch retorted hotly. There were still tear tracks on his face, obvious signs of grief for the death of his son.  
"Oh, I'm not, but the genophage was the punishment for those ancient sins, a punishment that went on far too long. Maybe Palaven burning should be the same punishment for yours!" Wrex shouted.  
"Enough, both of you!" Wednesday shouted, sick of galactic leaders acting like children.

"Wrex, your people did a lot of bad things a long time ago, and the galaxy had to resort to drastic measures to deal with it. A bomb compared to the genophage is nothing!" she scolded Wrex. "And you Victus, you did all of this in secret and learned the hard way that secrets have a cost. Today, that cost was thirteen of your fellow turians, including your son," she said to the Primarch. "There's a lot of old grudges, sins and mistakes the galaxy has made, but if we want to survive the Reapers, we need to get past that and fight together! For fuck's sake, we are this close to curing the genophage, and you want to jeopardise all that by slugging it out over a bomb threat from a thousand years ago!?" she said exasperatedly.

Wrex and Victus looked at each other, old grudges weighing heavily on them, but the scolding from Wednesday stinging them both. Wednesday didn't expect them to shake hands and become best buddies, but she settled for watching the two of them looking down like the chided children they were.  
"Alright, I've just talked to Professor Solus, he says the genophage cure is ready for deployment. If the two of you are done bitching, we can finally do what we came here to do."

Wednesday just left them in the war room, heading to her cabin. She got up there and sat down at her desk heavily, letting her frustration out in a single grunt. She pulled off her armour and put it in the locker and activated the cleaning function, before sitting at the desk again and picking up one of the Cerberus rocket-boots. She stripped it apart, taking careful scans with her omni-tool as she worked. An hour later, she had worked out some of her frustration and she had what she hoped was a working prototype. She was about to fabricate a pair when the door opened and Liara sauntered in.  
"You look like someone who has had far too much on her mind," Liara said with a sultry tone.  
"Hmm, do you perhaps have a suggestion to take my mind off all of this?" Wednesday asked with a smirk.  
"I may have an idea or two," the asari replied. The last coherent thought Wednesday had for the rest of the night was Liara wrapping her in a tight embrace and placing a passionate kiss on her lips.

* * *

"Goddess! _Fucking!_ **DAMN IT!**" Aria shouted, punctuating each word with a punch to the bulkhead of the ship she managed to escape on. She should have known, even at the time, that those Cerberus assholes getting through the Omega-4 Relay, despite her efforts to have them killed trying to attempt it, was going to bite her in the ass hard. Well, the day had finally arrived, and her seat of power was now no longer her own. Now, she had nothing but time to stew her anger into impotent rage as her miserable excuse for a ship limped its way back to the Citadel.

She couldn't exactly point to any one thing that had caused this particular set of circumstances, unfortunately. There was no one to conveniently blame and then kill, often at the same time, except perhaps that pompous asshole Oleg Petrovsky. How that arrogant upstart of a human had managed to stay human was a question she would also ask later, perhaps of the salarian she got to do the autopsy. Right now though, she had to live with the fact that he had beaten her soundly.

She should have been better prepared, should have seen it coming. Hell, she already had the mad-on for Cerberus before the Reapers showed their face and forced her to try and organise the gangs and thugs of the Terminus into a fighting force. So why had it happened the way it did? She had trouble admitting it even in the privacy of her own thoughts, but the fact remained that the only reason she was in her current predicament was overconfidence in herself and underestimating her enemies. Something she would definitely _not_ do going forward.

It had started when the Cerberus ships had re-emerged from the Red Relay. The sensors on her patrol craft detected no signs of life on the ships, and that was the first red flag. The second was the fact they looked significantly cannibilised and yet remarkably functional for ships that had spent the better part of six months in who-knows where. Incredibly functional, given the state the Shepard's ship had limped back to Omega in. Then there was the call from Petrovsky, arrogantly offering her a chance to surrender. She'd cut him off there and ordered his ship, and all the Cerberus ships with him, destroyed. That was when the seemingly-unmanned ships changed course, evading the majority of the fire or simply ignoring it in favour of ramming courses with Omega itself. Things only got worse from there.

Between the hardened civilians, the various Terminus gangs and the freelance thugs ever-present on Omega, the station was a civil war waiting to happen were it not for the careful influence, and not a little bit of dread-inspired terror, Aria supplied to the whole thing. Once those Cerberus ships hit the station, and the hell-spawned horrors hidden inside them spilled forth into the streets, all hell broke loose. Which is precisely when a veritable fleet of Cerberus ships poured forth from the other relays into the system, engaging the various ships that had congregated there. In the panic and confusion, a Cerberus assault squad managed to penetrate Afterlife, her sanctum itself, forcing her to leave by one of the many secret passages hidden throughout the station. By the time she reached a secondary location to try and regroup, she realised that taking back the station with what she had here would be impossible.

So she had done what had been nigh unthinkable. She fled, she left the rock that she had claimed and lorded over for centuries, the only home she had really ever known, in order to amass a fighting force large enough to take it back. It made good tactical sense, her huntress pack leader would have approved of the tactic, but it still felt like taking a bite of the largest piece of shit she could imagine as she looked out the cold glass window at her station under siege, falling to Cerberus and whatever Horrors had come back with them through the Omega-4 Relay. Aria sunk to the floor and pulled up her omni-tool. She had some calls to make. Firstly, Navarine (Councillor Tevos to the rest of the galaxy at large) probably needed to be informed she would be on the Citadel, in order to have C-Sec not burst a blood vessel.

Secondly, she remembered that Wednesday Shepard, while still being far too close to the goody two-shoes law and order of the Galaxy for her particular liking, had made a mean living recently as a mercenary. Perhaps she would be willing to take on a new cause for coin, or more probably for favours for her precious Alliance. Still, if it meant getting to sit in her favourite lounge in Afterlife, and personally send Petrovsky into its namesake, then it would be worth it in the end.

* * *

**A/N: Hey Everyone, new chapter for you. **

**This isn't the only new thing in my life though, because for the first time in over a year, I have some steady employment, with the prospect of more in the future! Hopefully, this trend continues until I have a full-time employment and can actually start saving money again. **

**Until next time, Enjoy! (Also read and review!)**

/


	7. Clearing the Air

After getting ready for the day, Wednesday went down to the war room where Mordin, Victus and Wrex were already waiting for her.  
"Excellent timing Shepard, about to brief on genophage cure status," Mordin said, his large eyes briefly catching hers.  
"It is ready, right?" Wednesday asked.  
"Of course ready, but deployment method key. Most methods too slow, but one option," he said, pressing some buttons on the central console. A hologram came up of a building of obvious salarian design, given the flowing lines and predominantly white colour, set inside what looked like an ancient krogan temple or arena of some kind.  
"Of course, the Shroud," Victus murmured.

"Mind giving me a quick history lesson, since I don't recognise the significance," Wednesday said.  
"Shroud used to repair Tuchanka's atmosphere as part of salarian uplift, goodwill gesture," Mordin said distractedly, his mind already moving faster than the conversation.  
"It's also the facility used to distribute the original genophage," Victus added. Wrex growled deep in his throat and narrowed his eyes, but made no immediately hostile moves.  
"Fitting then, that it will also distribute the cure," Wednesday mused.  
"Well, I hate to rain on this parade, but I just got some bad news before this started," Wrex said. "One of the smaller Reapers landed on the surface next to the Shroud. My scouts weren't concerned too much, since we don't go there often enough to care, but they say it looks like it's interacting with the damn building."

"Will complicate things," Mordin replied as he typed some more and a Reaper hologram appeared next to the Shroud.  
"Alright, what assets do we have in the system?" Wednesday asked.  
"Well, Clan Urdnot is there on the ground, along with our allies," Wrex said. "We don't have much in the way of air support though, the turians get frightened about that sort of thing."  
"Most of the ships assigned to the military blockade have been reassigned to the defence of Palaven and our other colonies, but I could probably scrounge up a fighter wing," Victus replied. "Anything bigger and the atmospheric drag will cancel their manoeuvrability."  
"Alright, so we've got those, and the _Normandy-A_ can probably come in as well, given that it's newer than your ships," Wednesday said. "We can work with this. Victus, you stay here and get those fighters organised. Wrex, get ready to go planet-side. Mordin, you make sure the cure is ready for deployment as fast as possible, we're probably only going to get one shot at this."

"Understood, will prepare Eve," he said, heading to the door.  
"Why Eve?" Wednesday asked.  
"Need her tissue sample at last stages of preparation. Cure stability will be increased."  
"Alright, but you're responsible for her," Wednesday said.  
"She's a krogan Shepard, she doesn't need coddling," Wrex grumbled, before he left the room. Wednesday was about to join him when Samantha's voice came over the intercom.  
"Commander, I've got an incoming comm request, it's marked urgent."  
"Does it come with a name?" Wednesday asked.  
"No name, and I can't get any kind of identifying metadata from the signal," Sam replied. "It is using an encryption most commonly used by salarian signals, that's about all I can confirm."  
"Be wary Commander, unsolicited calls to a Spectre are never what they seem," Victus warned her, before Wednesday moved to the comm room.

As she closed the door and accepted the incoming transmission, a hologram resolved into the form of Dalatrass Linron.  
"Commander Shepard, so pleased you could spare some time to talk. I imagine by now that Professor Solus has suggested using the Shroud facility to cure the genophage."  
"You spying on my ship now?" Wednesday asked, resolving to ask Liara to perform a sweep with her Shadow Broker equipment later. She also discreetly turned on her omni-tool behind her back to record this conversation.  
"It's the only logical course available to you now," Linron replied, neither confirming nor denying any spying.  
"And if he has?" Shepard said, refusing to confirm or deny Mordin's plan.

"Then you should know that STG operatives sabotaged the Shroud facility centuries ago to prevent exactly what you're planning. Without compensating for it, the cure will be destabilised just enough so that it fails and the krogan will be none the wiser. Professor Solus will undoubtedly try and stop it though."  
"So let me get this straight, you want me to lie to the krogan, sending them to their deaths. I'll probably have to kill Mordin as well, because you know he won't go along with this. With the genophage cured even partially, I gain a grateful ally in the krogan and the turians. What exactly do you have to offer that will beat that?" Wednesday asked.  
"I'm offering the full support of our fleets, intelligence resources and experimental technology," Linron said smugly, as if she had the upper hand in this deal.  
"You're also uncooperative, short-sighted and not as intelligent as you claim if you think that offer will sway me. The krogan will be the turning point in this war because they can fight on the ground in ways your people just can't. Against the Reapers, I'd take a single krogan over a dozen STG operatives on the ground. So, care to try again?"  
"You are a fool if you ignore me, Commander. You won't live to regret it!" the salarian woman shouted.  
"From where I'm standing Dalatrass, the only fool is you. The salarians aren't making allies, and so far the only thing your fleets have done is retreat into the Annos Basin instead of providing any assistance to any race. Think really hard about those actions, because the rest of the galaxy is watching." With that Wednesday shut off the transmission and stormed out of the comm room, ready to put boots on Tuchanka and kill something the good old-fashioned Addams way.

* * *

As Wednesday piloted the shuttle down to Tuchanka, she opened a channel to Victus still in the war room.  
"You get us that fighter support?" she asked.  
"I've found a squadron in the system," the Primarch replied. "They'll be in range when you need."  
"Alright, one less problem," Wednesday muttered as she closed the comm channel. She turned her head back to speak to one of the krogan in the back seat. "Wrex, you sure you don't want to go back to Urdnot territory?" she asked the hulking brute.  
"I already called ahead, told them that I'm calling a Moot at the Hollows," Wrex replied. "All the clans on this side of the planet are coming, it's the best place for this kind of meeting."  
"Didn't you kill your father there the last time you went to a Moot?"  
"Yes I did," Wrex rumbled. "Hopefully, things go better this time."

Wednesday just shrugged and returned to piloting the shuttle – after all, trying to kill your family members was how you showed affection between Addams.

As the shuttle drew closer to the surface, Wednesday shifted around a little as she got used to the feel of her new boots. They were her first attempt at replicating the jump-boots the Cerberus troopers used, and this was their first field test. As the shuttle came close to the coordinates Wrex had given her for the Hollows, she could see a Reaper transport ship converging on the same coordinates. She gave the signal to Cortez flying formation with her, and his Spearhead peeled away. She gave a smirk a moment later as his nimble fighter-interceptor made a strafing run along the Reaper ship's flank, setting off minor explosions over the entire length of the hull and causing it to jerk and buck before crashing to the ground. She caught a glimpse of ant-like figures running out of the burning wreckage, which was her cue to land and get everyone out and fighting.

As the shuttle closed on the building Wrex claimed to be the Hollows, Wednesday could see the Reaper forces already crawling all over it, clashing with the krogan already there. She shot a few with the shuttle guns, but there were more of them than could be effectively fought that way, so she quickly opened the side hatches so everyone could get their licks in. Wrex forwent the ranged combat and simply fell out of the hatch, his body glowing a biotic purple before he hit the ground hard, his enemies rising as he dissipated the mass effect field. He grabbed his shotgun and ran towards more krogan wearing Urdnot colours, firing as he went. As her team cleared a landing zone, Wednesday finally put down the shuttle then sent it back to Joker and the _Normandy_ remotely.

As the fighting came to an end with the krogan the obvious victors, Wrex just laughed heartily, his armor covered in drying ichor.

"Umph, I've been waiting for a good fight," he said to the assembled hordes.

"Looks to me you brought some more with you," another voice called out. A burly krogan pushed his way to the front, and Wrex just rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"I swear on our father's grave Wreav, I don't have time for your particular brand of varren shit today," Wrex growled.

"You call a Moot, then the Reapers attack. We kill them, only to find you keeping company with the human that interfered with Grunt's Rite of Passage, and with turians and salarians to boot. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to get us all in the one place to kill us."

"If you believe that, then you are an even bigger fool than the rumours spoke of," Eve said as she made her way inside, her ceremonial robes offset by the shotgun in her hands. "For those of you who don't know me, I am the Shaman of Urdknot, and for longer than I care to say, I have watched my children be born and never breathe. Then, I was given hope, a hope that these people have brought home to Tuchanka. Today, we can rise above the petty creatures the galaxy has made us, and prove ourselves worthy of a future worth fighting for. The Reapers mean to kill us all, and make no mistake, they can and they will, unless we put the grudges against the galaxy to rest. I don't know about the rest of you, but today I am here to cure the genophage, and announce to the galaxy that the krogan are back!"

Wednesday looked around the room as Eve spoke, setting the hardened krogan deflate at the reminder of their own mortality and pettiness, before they began to rally as her speech finished.

"So Wreav, are you ready to fight this war, or are you still stuck on fighting one nobody cares about anymore?" Wrex challenged. Wreav held his brother's gaze for a moment, before breaking eye contact and turning away. "Alright then, let's get this party started. Urdnot, Jorgal, I need you to back up Ravenah and get me eyes on what's happening at the Temple of Kalros," Wrex ordered. "The rest of you, I need whatever forces you can get there at short notice. We have a future to win, so let's go!"

Wednesday just waited until the crowds had left before she addressed Wrex again.

"So, how are you planning to get us there?" she asked.

"Urdnot has been working on getting our armored cavalry battle-ready, so we should be able to get a move on if they brought all the ones I asked for."

"Excellent," Wednesday said, with a vicious smile. She turned to the rest of her team and began laying out orders. "Liara, Garrus, you're up with me in the lead. Solana, Vega, Lurch, Malra, you're in the second. Let's move out!"

* * *

It turned out that by 'armoured cavalry', Wrex had been talking about mostly tomkahs, with pride of place taken by what could only be called a land vehicle equivalent of a dreadnought. Nothing on Tuchanka was small by any means, but this vehicular monstrosity just screamed impending doom. The thick armor plates were black and suspiciously shiny, with Urdnot colours proudly displayed. Each major facing had what appeared to be either a heavy accelerator cannon or flamethrower, with the main turret hosting a cannon that looked similar to the Thanix cannons on the _Normandy_.

"Garrus, did you have anything to do with this?" Wednesday asked as they followed Wrex, Eve and Mordin into the behemoth of a tank.

"Would I really leak to Wrex, of all people, instructions on how to construct that, along with a full technical manual and calibration guidelines that account for average krogan finger size and tool quality?" he asked faux-innocently as a reply.

"And to think you were just a cop when I found you, your potential would have been squandered," Wednesday said proudly.

As the hatch closed, Wednesday felt the tell-tale spark of a large mass effect drive powering up, likely to supply power to the weapons as well as reduce the mass in order to allow the thing to move at all. As they moved Wednesday pulled up her omni-tool, sending the shuttle back to the _Normandy_. As she did she came across the recent recording of Linron attempting to blackmail/coerce her into sabotaging the genophage. Her face must have shown her displeasure, as Eve asked what was on her mind.

"Just considering what would happen if something happened to Dalatrass Linron," Wednesday mused darkly.

"Depends if incident fatal or not," Mordin replied absently.

"Oh?" Eve asked.

"Addams family known to live far longer than their enemies – alternatively, death less permanent. If Linron met fatal 'accident', leadership would change quickly. Likely replacement candidate would be Ealys, possibly Broka, depending on negotiations. Both would be better than Linron in current environment. If forced to step down, result less certain."

"You certainly seem to have put some thought into it," Eve said shrewdly.

"Simply familiar with salarians politics, though find it distasteful. Also familiar with Addams Family, STG was particularly concerned during my debrief when they received intel that Garrus and Tali'Zorah had performed initiation rites. Suspect Shepard has something on Linron, contemplating releasing it. Would prefer to cut out middleman, just assassinate her." The look on his usually stoic face have weight to his words. Wednesday just nodded at his wise advice.

All too soon the convoy stopped, and Wrex frowned.

"We can't have reached the Temple yet. Something's wrong." He jumped up and out the turret hatch, followed quickly by the rest of them except Eve and Mordin. As their eyes adjusted for the change in brightness, they quickly saw two things. Firstly, the Reaper near the Shroud was using it, the white building now spewing forth clouds a poisonous green. The second was that the lead tomkah had stopped, and one of the pathfinder was inspecting the road.

"What's the holdup?" Wrex asked gruffly.

"The bridge has been damaged, looks recent too. Not sure it'll stand up to more than a couple tomkah, let alone your personal tank." Wrex just growled.

"We don't have time to wait around for a repair crew when there's Reapers to kill," the old krogan grumbled. Before he could say anything else though, they all felt the ground beneath then quake, and a plume of dust billowed away from them towards the Reaper. The mechanical being, small by Reaper standards but still plenty big enough, noticed and turned to face it, and coincidentally Wednesday's position. A lance of super-accelerated molten metal stabbed from what liked a central cyclopic eye, scouring the walls of the Temple and finishing off the bridge.

Fortunately, most of them had already been heading back into their dedicated transports, and were inside by the time the beam reached them.

Unfortunately for Wednesday, she was the only one still on foot as the beam hit, the heat and pressure wave from the vaporizing stones knocking her off the tank as it turned around with speed.

She grunted as she hit the ground, watching with annoyance as the convoy left her behind.

"Shepard, you alright?" Wrex's voice sounded in her ear.

"I'm fine, though watching you literally leave me in the dust," Wednesday muttered.

"Not even this thing can take a hit like that, we couldn't stay in the firing line," Wrex replied. "Unfortunately, that thing also just took out the most direct route, so we need to go around. If you're fast, you can probably meet us by cutting through the Temple itself."

"Alright, but if I find out Kalros is some ancient krogan word for doom, you and I are going to have words," Wednesday replied with a half smirk.

She turned to face the blasted edifice of the Temple, finding that by some weird coincidence, there was an undamaged entrance to the building just a few meters above the road, some kind of balcony.

First time for everything, she thought as she positioned herself underneath the platform. She shuffled her feet and then activated the thrusters. Since she hadn't had time to test them properly beyond simple function test, she had no idea if she would fly or merely hop. As it turned out, she had not in fact calibrated the thrust for her reduced weight, and thus flew double the height she had planned. When the thrusters cut out there was a brief moment of flailing before she regained her balance and angled herself towards the balcony.

She'd had better landings, but she didn't have time to waste. All she could do was work on the boots later. She got to her feet and pressed into the darkened temple. Turning on the flashlight on her chestplate, she advanced.

"Which way should I be going, Wrex?" she asked into her comm unit.

"Head to the northeast, there should be a spot we can rendezvous there."

"Right," Wednesday acknowledged, activating the compass on her helmet display and taking the appropriate passages.

As she went along it was impossible to miss the statues of imposing krogan, as well as the art on the walls depicting worship, or krogan riding into battle on steeds as imposing as their riders. She had to backtrack as she came to a caved in corridor, but not before seeing the wall depicting some kind of giant thresher maw. As she ran down the next tunnel, Wednesday began to put the pieces into place of what the Temple was dedicated to, and what the Reaper had fired at earlier. Unbidden, her lips curled into a smile of anticipation.

"Wrex, who or what exactly is Kalros?"

"Wondered when you'd ask, Shepard," Wrex replied. "According to legend, Kalros is the mother of all thresher maws."

"If a planet could be said to have a temper, then Tuchanka has Kalros," Eve added.

"Reason Shroud was placed here, few krogan brave enough to face Kalros," Mordin interjected.

Wednesday's next question cut off in her throat as she finally found an exit, the red Arahlak sunlight shining on the corpse of a Reaper-modified monstrosity. It had been a victim of another cave in, but it was the face that Wednesday could see, and the massive cannon grafted to its carapace, which gave her pause. There was no mistaking it was some kind of horrible variant of a rachni, which meant either Dal Segno was in more trouble, or her species was less extinct than previously assumed. It also probably meant that Wednesday had company up ahead.

She came out into the Temple plaza, and saw something she'd never thought she'd see on Tuchanka.

"Did you know there are plants in here, actual living ones?" she asked over the comm.

"The Temple stands at the end of the Kelphic Valley, and it's been mostly undisturbed by krogan hands," Eve replied. "For most of our people, it's just a sad reminder of what we used to have. For me, it's a symbol of hope, of what we could be again."

"Fair enough, now if you'll excuse me, I have some gate crashers I have to deal with," she said as she pulled out her sword and pistol.

Wednesday sighted along the ranks of various Reaper forces and picked the marauder as her target. Clapping her hands together and activating her biotics, the world moved in a purple blur as she sped the distance between them. An instant before she would have collided, she broke the charge, the shockwave sending the brainless minions around it flying as she separated the head from the shoulders with one clean swipe of Vengeance. She didn't have long to savor the victory, as she saw a targeting laser beam hone in on her position. As the beam found her body, she heard the sound of what could only be a large-bore cannon firing.

Going to ground was an option, but not the best one she had if she wanted to see her assailant. So instead, she hit the emergency button for her thrusters that she'd installed on her glove. She rocketed into the air microseconds before the round would have caught her. She instinctively looked down at the impact, and assessed that she might have been able to take the shot with her shields, barely. Any ideas of being able to charge conventionally at whatever had fired that were dashed as the more shots were fired in quick succession, following her flight path but not able to correct fast enough to connect. Wednesday saw the undead rachni-thing as the source of the shots, and biotically charged at it.

The impact shockwave shook the thing, but it managed to stop her blade mostly by accident with one of its cannons. It tried to backtrack while Wednesday fired into its armoured head, not giving it room to move. Suddenly, the fleshy sacs Wednesday just assumed were a byproduct of the transformation processes ruptured violently, spilling its highly caustic blood at the same time as releasing almost a dozen cat-sized metallic worker drones, their normal mandible replaced with razor-sharp blades. They wasted no time jumping all over her, pointed legs and bladed mouths looking for weak points in her armor. Wednesday stabbed and shot as quickly she she could, before giving up and activating a crude but effective biotic nova to get the things off her.

Only to find herself literally looking down the barrel of the rachni cannon several meters away.

Cursing at the situation, she tried once again to charge the beast, now oozing poisonous ichor from its open and exposed corrupted organs as it opened fire. The first shot connected just as her body began to phase out, depleting her barrier and heating her armor until she was sure it left burns on the skin underneath. The next two shots missed as she rapidly accelerated. She pulled out her pistol as she gripped the cannon so it couldn't manoeuvre away again, pressing it to it's eye and firing until the thermal clip overheated and automatically discharged, the glowing heat sink sizzling and dissolving as it fell into the pool of acidic fluids that the rachni once used for blood.

Wednesday applied some medi-gel from her armour tank straight onto her burns, because there was no quicker route to infection. While she was no stranger to her own burned skin, she preferred to leave the fascination for burns to Uncle Fester – although dear Pugsley's specialty rather favoured such injuries as well. She quickly made a locator beacon with her omni-tool, set the frequency and then left it next to the corpse, deciding to call it a ravager, after the nicknames such as husk, cannibal and marauder. She wanted Anacrusis to inspect it, see what the young queen could tell her, and double check that her mother was still okay. But that would have to wait, There was still plenty of work left to do. She jogged through the Temple, keeping an eye out for more Reapers, but fortunately, or unfortunately from a certain point of view, there were no more enemies.

She came out of the Temple at the first exit she could find, finding a tomkah waiting and Wrex's tank just making the corner. There was a stone bridge that spanned a churned passage of dust and rubble she began to run across, only to have it collapse as the armored shell of a thresher maw ploughed through it, only narrowly avoiding the tomkah. She ran forward and leapt into the nearest vehicle, feeling slightly reassured when Lurch's grey-skinned face peered through the top hatch.

"Always had to be dramatic with you, doesn't it Shepard"? Wrex asked tightly.

"Makes it fun!" Wednesday shouted back as she surfed the vehicle as it began racing forward.

"Should make haste, Kalros likely sees us as excellent mineral supplement!" Mordin said in a slight panic. Almost as if it was a prophecy, Wednesday watched with fascination as Kalros emerged from the desert sand in all her glory, shrieking as only a thresher maw older than human civilization can, before opening her gigantic mouth and slamming it down into the ground, swallowing the final tomkah like a metallic amuse bouche.

Thankfully, the effort to properly swallow and digest her mouthful let the surviving vehicles put enough distance between them to consider themselves momentarily safe, until the Reaper decided to deal with them.

"Anyone important in that tomkah?" Wednesday asked.

"Only if you count Wreav, which I don't. It'll be nice not to have to deal with that idiot anymore," Wrex said with a chuckle.

"If only we could harness that," Wednesday mused.

"Actually, there might be a way," Eve put forward. "Krogan being what we are, we built a set of maw hammers in the heart of the stadium where the shroud now stands. Thresher hate the sound it makes, and always come to fight whatever is nearby until it stops. Kalros would not be immune to its affect, no matter her age."

"Well then, I think we have ourselves a plan," Wednesday said with a smirk as the convoy rounded the last corner of the Temple, to see the Reaper and the Shroud once more.

"Artimec Wing, Cortez, do you copy?" Shepard asked into her comm.

"Loud and clear Commander," replied the turian wing leader.

"Good, I need air support at the Shroud in ten minutes while we prepare some unconventional warfare."

"Understood Commander, locking in our approach vector. ETA ten minutes."

"Step on it, Wrex!" Wednesday shouted gleefully.

As if driven by a whip, the entire convoy shifted up a gear. Wednesday took the opportunity to down an emergency energy drink of her own concoction to top off her bodily reserves as the convoy neared the Reaper. At they came in range, one of the more enthusiastic krogan turned the tomkah guns and fired, the large rounds barely scratched the armour of the massive machine. It did, however, get the Reaper's attention, distracting it from whatever it was doing to the Shroud to focus on them, as if annoyed by insects.

As it turned ponderously to face them, staring them down with its cyclopic red eye in preparation to fire, there came a barrage of incoming fire from the side as Artimec Wing and Cortez arrived to the party. The graceful turian fighters danced around the Reaper, their shots peppering its hull and occasionally biting into exposed joints, but even Wednesday could see that it would be little more than superficial damage. Their advantage of surprise and numbers would only buy them time, not victory.

"Wrex, where are those hammers?" Wednesday shouted into her comm over the sound of a turian fighter, clipped by the Reaper's main weapon, flying out of control and crashing into the Temple.

"Here and here," he replied, adding beacon points to her helmet display. "You take the east one, I'll go for the west. With any luck, Kalros will take care of our Reaper problem."

The convoy came up to the lee of the arena walls, out of sight of the Reaper, and everyone piled out. Eve and Mordin stayed near the tank, not willing to leave a relatively safe position.

As they quickly organised themselves, a horde of Reaper creatures spilled over the walls to attack them. Wrex meet them with a shotgun in his hands and a war cry on his tongue.

"I AM URDNOT WREX! AND THIS IS MY PLANET!" With that he counter-charged the incoming undead, his shotgun blasting apart smaller husks into chunks, and his biotics bringing a krogan-turian brute to its knees long enough for the old yet dangerous krogan to grab its grafted-on head and tear it, spine and all, messily from the beast, bellowing as he did. His fellow krogan roared and followed his example, falling into the Reapers as a fleshy tide.

"Well, with an example like that, it's hard not to follow," Wednesday said, heading into the arena at the head of her own battle group.

"With the krogan on Palaven, we might even stand a chance," Garrus mused as he shouldered his assault rifle and swept forward while Wednesday covered him.

"Then the dominoes will begin to fall," Wednesday replied.

Her team pushed through the arena quickly, dealing as swiftly as they could with the Reaper forces on the ground while avoiding the randomly stomping legs of the Reaper itself. They had mostly avoided serious injuries until one of the Reaper's legs moved quickly to turn the massive machine and Lurch was caught under it.

"Lurch!" Solana cried out. She liked the big zombie.

"He'll be fine, keep moving," Garrus shouted back. True enough, as Solana risked a look back she saw the dust cloud dissipate and Lurch on one knee like the cover of a romance novel, his expression grimmer than usual as he shouldered a weight to make Atlas wince. By the time Solana turned back, the rest of them had cleared the hammer and Wednesday was on the comm.

"Wrex, are there any silly heroic requirements like having to activate them at the same time?" she asked, hand over the large button.

"We're on Tuchanka Shepard, not in some kind of asari romance vid," Wrex growled, his shotgun heard over the comm. "We don't do heroic when we can do explosions."

"I'm really not sure why I expected anything else " Wednesday answered as she hit the button. The massive metal head was raised by ancient mechanisms designed to withstand time and krogan until it reached the end of its journey, whereupon it fell down to the anvil-like base, creating a sound they all felt more than heard. As the hammer began rising again, the felt the echo of the other hammer falling.

It took only until the third strike before they heard the shriek of Kalros in response. The Reaper turned to face the oncoming sound before everyone had a moment of contemplation of their place in the galaxy. There really was no other response when confronted by the sheer enormity of Kalros rising from the ground like an angry, avenging deity before slamming into the Reaper, which seemed dwarfed beneath it. The Reaper was more agile than it looked though, sidestepping the lunging thresher maw and spinning it into the Shroud, the building dented and shaken by the impact. The Reaper attempted to use its main weapon, but Kalros was faster and retreated underground, safely away from the reach of the beam. The ground shook as Kalros burrowed quickly through the substrate, the Reaper firing randomly, almost panicked. The state of caution was warranted, but ultimately futile as Kalros came in for a second pass, this time erupting from underneath the Reaper and sending it sprawling to the ground. Before it could activate its engines and escape, Kalros encircled it like a python around its victim before dragging it beneath the surface. The sound of grinding engines and attempts to use its weapon followed as it sank beneath the dunes.

"Alright Mordin, you're clear," Wednesday said as she sheathed her sword. She ordered her team to sweep the area for any more Reaper forces while she met with Mordin. She could already hear the krogan bellowing their victory to the sky before Wrex got them doing something productive. It was difficult going, picking her way through the rubble, but eventually she got to the base of the Shroud and the laboratory within. She was met by Mordin supporting Eve to the tank, the shaman weak but alive.

"If you wanted to kill me today, now is the time," Eve managed to croak out. "Not even sure I'd mind at this point."

"If I wanted to kill you any time, I would want you at your best. Otherwise, where is the fun or the glory?" Wednesday asked in reply. Eve just grunted in agreement before she got into the tank. Mordin turned to face Wednesday with a grim expression as an explosion rang out above them. She looked up, seeing that the battle had obviously damaged the Shroud more than she had originally thought.

"Need to go up, insert cure vector, correct for likely sabotage and damage," Mordin said matter of factly. He had a small coughing fit after it as well, reminding Wednesday of his impending death.

"You realise it's going to be a one way trip, right?" Wednesday asked. She liked Mordin, but was a realist, not an idealist. Everyone had to die, but few every got to choose the time or method, and fewer still to die for something they believed in.

"Yes." It was a sign of his conviction that the single word summed up everything.

He strode towards the external elevator solemnly, and Wednesday did not cheapen his act by trying to heroically stop or plead with him. As the glass doors closed, he turned around, an expression of peace on his face mixed with sadness of all the things he didn't have time to test.

"What do you want your Record in the Black Tome to say your last words were?" Wednesday asked. Mordin tilted his head to think for a second before he replied

"Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong." And with that the elevator began to quickly ascend. Wednesday just walked back to the tank to find Eve looking at her expectantly.

"He isn't coming back, is he?" the krogan asked.

"No."

"I will miss him."

Wednesday took a few false starts but managed to get the tank moving. She tried not to look back as a massive explosion wracked the top of the tower, but saw it anyway through the rear camera feed. But instead of sadness, she felt merely a sense of vindication as instead of toxic green, the cloud now issuing from the Shroud was a sparkling gold. When she reached where her team and Wrex had congregated, she and Eve got out in time for the first of the flakes to fall on them, the snowflake-like structure quickly melting through armour into skin. While she felt nothing due to her incompatible biology, she could see the eyes of all the krogan light up in wonder.

Wrex took a deep breath, and then turned to his clansmen and allies.

"Spread the word, the genophage is over, and the Reaper's days are numbered. The old feuds are over, we are free. From this day forward, all krogan will remember that it was not our strength that beat the genophage, but our allies, and it was our strength and theirs combined that freed the galaxy."

"We have won our future, one where Shepard and Mordin will be the names of our heroes," Eve added. "Now, we must fight to secure it!"

With a bellowed roar, the krogan moved out, while Wrex and Eve approached where Wednesday and her team were preparing to leave.

"Just so you know Garrus, it'll probably take us a week or so to get ready for deployment on Palaven."

"I'm sure the Primarch will welcome the news," Garrus replied.

"Oh and Shepard, I'm calling in that favour you owe me. Arahlak Company went on assignment a few weeks ago, but I haven't heard from them. They are the best of the best Tuchanka has to offer. You want krogan boots of the ground, they have the most spikes on them. You get them back in play, we'll call it good for now."

"Alright Wrex, but only because you're my friend. Its a big galaxy and I can't be everywhere."

"You won't regret this detour, I guarantee it," Wrex said cryptically.

"Before you go Commander, know that you go with the thanks of the krogan, and that Urdknot Bakara considers you a friend."

"And I you," Wednesday replied.

* * *

Aria could have cursed, but she held her tongue. It had been a miserable trip, made all the more so because she couldn't kill anyone on the ship. It had been trivial to call Tevos and speed through her application to reside, however temporarily, on the Citadel. But now the best place she could find was called Purgatory. The food was bad, the drinks weren't properly watered down and the music sucked. The only barely redeeming factor was the quality of the staff and their barely-there uniforms. Even the couch she had appropriated felt wrong.

But now she was here, she could actually think instead of just stewing on her rage. If she wanted to take back Omega, she needed an army, and at the moment she was fresh out. That meant mercenaries. She also, if was going to be brutally honest with herself, needed a better strategist than she was. Over her centuries of ruling that rock, she had honed a cunning, yet brutal, political skill. Unfortunately, that had come at the cost of her huntress training, as her recent defeat had shown. She needed someone who could plan on the move, yet who wasn't afraid to get their hands dirty.

She needed Wednesday Addams.

The problem of an army suddenly became the solution not only to get back Omega, but to get Wednesday onside as well. The gift of an army in a time of galactic war would probably be received well. Now she just had to get that army. She pulled up a datapad and began typing away, seeing what had happened to some of the galaxy's larger mercenary operations.

* * *

"Councillor Udina, this is unexpected," the receptionist said.

"Yes, quite. Now, could you direct me to the rooms of Major Alenko and Lieutenant-Commander Williams?" he asked in reply.

"Given the current situation, we've had to put then in the same room, 367 up on the third floor."

"Thank you," Udina said as he made his way towards the elevator.

As he entered the room, he was at least a little relieved that both of them were awake, as it would make the next part easier.

"Councillor Udina, I'd salute, but I was told to minimise movement for the next few days," Alenko said as he saw their visitor. Doctor's orders didn't stop Williams from pulling off a salute, though she really hurt after.

"At ease you two," Udina said in his best charming voice. "I hear your recovery is progressing well."

"About as well as can be expected," Williams replied.

"Thankfully the doctors said there wasn't any damage to the spinal cord itself, so once the observational period is over, we should be able to get back to active service soon."

"That's good to hear," Udina replied with a slick smile. "It was about the nature of your return to active duty that I wished to talk to you about, if you're feeling up to it of course." He trailed off to make it sound like he was concerned for their health, but really, it was a tactic calculated to get their interest.

"Please, we're dying of boredom here, something else to think about would be a relief!" Williams exclaimed.

"Maybe don't try to scare the councillor with your enthusiasm," Alenko added with a chuckle. Udina chucked inside, this might be easier than he'd been planning.

"Well, as you are aware, Wednesday Shepard is now a privateer for the Alliance. While it still gives humanity a veneer of legitimacy regarding our first Spectre operative, there are some who view it as... distasteful." His pause let both of the wounded soldiers shudder as they recalled how distasteful Wednesday could be.

"Nevertheless, there are some people who believe that the time has certainly come for the next candidates for Spectre operatives to be put forward. I, and several others agree, that the two of you fit the bill."

"Really, Sir?" Williams asked.

"But of course,"Udina replied smoothly. "You have first hand experience with how a Spectre can operate, you both have had exceptional careers and good standing with the Alliance, I can hardly think of more qualified candidates."

"It's an honour Councillor, but I know I'm not in the right shape to just agree to that," Alenko replied cautiously. His look to Williams curtailed her initial reaction to accept it out of hand, but then he had always been the shrewd one of the two of them.

"We've got at least another week in bed here, let us think it over," Williams added. Udina frowned a little at the mild setback, but then this was too important to overplay his hands.

"Of course, I realise this a big decision. I'll let you two think about it for a few days, see how you're feeling then." With a bow of his head to both of them, he left the room, his mind already working out the easiest way to block them from speaking with Admiral Anderson.

Udina knew that Anderson would consider his ploy a political move, not a strategic one. He had the support of several other officers including Admiral Singh, and he was reasonably confident of convincing Hackett of the necessity. But Anderson, and the Addams Clan, would be able to see right through the ruse to the heart of the matter, and that he didn't need right now. Because if all went well soon, neither Anderson or the Addams would be able to stop him.

"What was that about?" Ashley asked as they were left alone.

"I'm not sure Ash, but knowing Udina I'm sure there's an ulterior motive behind it," Kaidan replied. "The man doesn't know how to do anything without one."

"Surely he can't be like that all the time, right?"

"Ash, for all that you're a good soldier, you still haven't really learned the political game. It goes without saying there was something he wasn't telling us, our challenge is to find out what. That's how the game is played."

"Sounds like a stupid game to me," Ash replied.

"I hear that," Kaidan chucked. "But like it or not, being a Spectre will be all about politics. It may not have seemed like it, but Commander Shepard is pretty savvy when it comes to this. She may not play by the same rules as the rest of us, but she still knows how to play the game."

"How do you mean?" Ash asked, morbidly curious despite herself.

"I know you probably want to forget about her, but I keep an eye on the Alliance Intel reports on her, at least the ones I can access. She's got the turians and the krogan to the table to talk, but what isn't widely known is that she's been working on this for months now. I'd be surprised if there wasn't a whole lot more she has done that we just didn't know about, and probably never will."

"I guess I never saw it like that," Ash admitted. "Looks like I've still got a lot to learn."

"Just hope you get the chance to. This war is going to get a whole lot worse worse before it gets better."

* * *

"He knew he wasn't coming back," Malra said without emotion as Wednesday came into the infirmary.

"How do you figure?" she asked in reply.

"He packed up all his things, and left this for me," the salarian replied, waving a datapad. "He left one for you as well," she added, pointing to another one next to his packed kit.

"He was dying, and he knew it. It takes a brave person to face their death like that."

"I knew he was dying too, I was just too polite to bring it up," Malra said, finally making eye contact. "There's a reason we don't live long, and he was well over the average."

"You don't seen as shaken up about it as you'd like me to think," Wednesday noted.

"We live, we die, so does everyone sooner or later. At least I got to spend time with him doing something important."

"Mordin was a brave man, he stood up for what he believed in. Follow his example, and you'll leave the galaxy a better place, just like he did."

"I'd like to stay, if you'll have me," Malra asked. "I may not be as experienced as he is... was, but I like to think I'm at least of a similar potential."

"Good idea," Wednesday replied. "If you read your uncle's reports of his time with me, you know what to expect. It'll be hard, sometimes nearly impossible, but it might just be what keeps us all alive."

"I'll do it for him," Malra said with conviction.

"Do it for you as well," Wednesday cautioned, before heading up to the war room.

* * *

In the hangar bay, Wednesday joined Anacrusis as the two of them looked down at the corpse of the ravage Wednesday had killed on the surface of Tuchanka.

"What can you tell me Ana?" Wednesday asked.

"It feels… wrong," Ana said tentatively, as if looking for the right word. "I can smell that it used to be what mother and her kind were. But I can hear the echoes of their songs in mother's memories, and these are nothing like them."

"I've seen what they used to be, trust me," Wednesday answered.

"No, you haven't," Ana answered sadly. "We used to be so different, before the yellow note. The things mother had to birth on the cold planet; they were as different to what we were as this thing is now. Even dead, I can feel the echoes of the yellowness, taste the sour control that had guided this thing."

"Is your mother alright?" Wednesday asked.

"Yes, I have spoken to her many times, even an hour ago. She is fine, and the yellow note has not found her, yet. I do not know where this thing has come from, but it did not come from the Coda Planet, nor any we have begun to burrow for the metal-skins."

"I had to ask Ana, this thing was a rachni once, before the Reapers did… whatever they have done to it. I would hate to see this happen to your kind before they had their chance."

"We would die before we submitted to the King in Yellow!" Ana shouted.

"The King in Yellow?" Wednesday asked.

"We can hear the echoes of the galaxy, even hidden underground, even among the stars. Mother and I can hear the source of the yellow note, the strongest voice singing it. You have called it Harbinger." Wednesday just nodded, wondering not for the first time if HP Lovecraft hadn't found a Reaper device in his journeys, which gave him the mad inspiration for Cthulu and his kind.

"If you can take a look and see if you can learn anything else about where it might have come from, I would appreciate it," Wednesday said. Mostly so she could know where to bomb from orbit.

"The yellow note destroyed my ancestors, it will not be allowed to destroy me," Ana replied strongly, probing deeper into the corpse with one of her tentacles.

* * *

"So you've got the support of the krogan, Fedorian, unless there are some other Rebellion-era contingencies you'd like to enlighten me about," Wednesday said as she entered the war room.

"None that I'm aware of that pose a threat at the moment," the Primarch replied. Wednesday took note of the unusual wording for later. "The only problem now is getting them moving. Krogan aren't known for their fleets, and I simply don't have the capacity at the moment to divert enough transports. I've been in contact with the rachni queen who calls herself Dal Segno, which was a disturbing experience let me tell you, and I've got her and her kin creating new civilian fallback points not registered on any database. If nothing else, it will give them all a chance to hide if none of this works."

"None of that Primarch, or the Reapers have already beaten us. You say you don't have the ships, that's fine, I know someone who probably does," Wednesday answered.

"Unless you've got the entire Migrant Fleet up your sleeve, I doubt it'll make a difference," Fedorian replied with a grim chuckle.

"Funny you should mention," Wednesday answered with a smirk, pressing a button on her Addams QEC. Her smirk changed to a frown as instead of the crisp hologram of Tali'Zorah, Admiral of the Fleet, she was met with static. That, more than anything, caused her some concern. She pushed the intercom .

"Traynor, are you busy?" she asked

Sam had learned from her time onboard the _Normandy_-A that if Wednesday asked if you were busy, you weren't.

"Nothing that can't wait till later," she replied in her crisp Oxford accent.

"Good, I need your expertise in the war room."

"Right away ma'am." A minute later, Sam entered the room to see Wednesday looking perplexed by her QEC. "How can I help?"

"Did Granny ever show you how this works?" Wednesday asked.

"Y-yes," Sam replied a little nervously. In fact, she had involved Sam in the design phase of the prototype for the device on Wednesday's wrist.

"Good, because I'm having trouble getting a hold of Tali."

"Oh, well then let me have a look at it," Sam said, holding out her hand expectantly. Wednesday handed the device over and Sam quickly pressed the button again to see the same static cloud.

"Hmm, it looks like there's a quantum misalignment, possibly the result of some recent damage. I'll just need a second or so to fix it." Sam fished for the toolkit she kept on her person now and opened the device, which while toughened for exactly the kind of things Wednesday did on a regular basis, wasn't invincible. She mumbled technical jargon to herself as she delicately realigned the quantum module that was indeed slightly mis-calibrated, checked the others to ensure they were alright as well, then closed the device and handed it back.

"Try it now," Sam suggested. Wednesday did so, and this time the image partially resolved, but turned into a cloud every few seconds.

"Wednesday, is that you?" came the crackly voice of Wednesday's favourite quarian.

"Tali, what's going on?" Wednesday asked. Turning quietly to Sam, she added in a look that asked the same question. Sam just hooked up the QEC to the main console and began frantically typing, trying to boost the signal and clarify the noise.

"Hang on," Tali said, the sound of a shotgun blast unmistakable. "I don't know whether to thank the ancestors for your timing, or curse them for it getting this bad first." The hologram was still flickering, though the sound was less interrupted.

"I'm guessing there's a problem?" Wednesday asked.

"Yes, though probably not a huge one by galactic standards," Tali replied as she fired at something out of view. "The short of it is that the Fleet and the geth are stuck in this system."

"Give me the long version Tali, I need that fleet mobile, and I need it soon."

"Alright, so I've been working with Zaal'Koris and aunty Raan on upgrading the Fleet and getting the geth back on at least non-hostile terms with the quarians," Tali explained, punctuating her statements with blasts from her shotgun. "So far so good, Han'Gerrel and Daro'Xen skulked away like teenagers to practice or whatever, didn't think it was a big deal. Except it turns out that one of them got their hands on a Reaper device of some kind, which now means that a significant portion of the Heavy Fleet and the geth have been subverted. Not enough to kill us in a direct fight, but enough to effectively stop the rest of us leaving. Then for whatever reason, there's a massive solar event we can't quite figure out, screws with all our sensors. When we can finally see past visual range, there's a fucking Little Reaper That Could parked in the middle of Han'Gerrel's formation, and our forward ships are being attacked by Reaper boarding parties."

"So, pretty much situation normal then," Wednesday summarized.

"Well, yeah," Tali agreed.

"Sounds like fun. I'll be able to tell you in person how we killed one of those Reapers with a thresher maw."

"Well, that's certainly one way to do it," Tali muttered. "Though you might want to hurry up if you want to join in the fun, before I tire of this game and bring out the big guns."

"I'll be sure to let Garrus know, you know how he is with large calibers."

"Oh boy do I," Tali agreed, before Wednesday cut the call.

She turned to Primarch Fedorian.

"You have ten seconds to object before I take you on as a hired gun out beyond the Perseus Veil," she said evenly.

"And if I do decide I needed a little R&amp;R from being the Primarch for a few days?" he challenged.

"Then get used to taking orders instead of giving them. You have arms and armour on board?"

"Commander, I'm a turian. I can hardly get to sleep without a gun on my hip."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," Wednesday said with a smirk as she engaged the ship-wide PA.

"Alright everyone, change of plans, instead of the Citadel to drop off our assorted VIP guests, we're going on another hunting expedition, this time out to quarian territory. So, get your asses in gear and check any prejudices at the airlock, because I hired you, and believe me, you will not like the severance package if you upset me. Now, let's get out there!"

"I'll begin letting the generals know of my whereabouts," Fedorian said as he bent back down. Wednesday nodded and left, throwing Sam an appreciative glance before she headed up to her cabin and shower, to get the dust of Tuchanka off her for a while.

* * *

A/N: This chapter has been a long time coming, and I owe you all an explanation for why it's taken over a year between chapters.

Firstly, being unemployed sucks. 15 months of it even moreso. You have little time for creative pursuits because you're constantly looking for work while watching your saving dwindle away and your partner get progressively more stressed about finances. What little time you do find, you can't seem to write because every rejection just cuts a little deeper into the depression that begins to underline your existence.

But then, you finally do get a job and you work extra hard at making sure that they keep you on. You give some of the new free time to taking care of your partner in return for all she has given you. You find time for your friends as well, who have noticed you becoming angry and bitter, and understand why and just give you support rather than platitudes.

Finally, you find the creative spark you thought had died, or had wandered into a different story and left the old, unfinished one just that - unfinished. It took several months of re-reading the previous stories, as well as the original inspirational stories and some others to get back into the old groove. I'm not entirely sure I've captured it again, but I needed to get this down or it was never going to start again. So here it is, I hope it's everything you've come to expect.

I've got a solid workplan now, if not necessarily a schedule. I won't promise anything, just apologise it's taken so long and that I will strive to finish this soon.

Reviews are always appreciated.


	8. Trials Beyond the Veil

"Alright, hang on to something!" Wednesday heard Joker shout from his chair as the relay spat the _Normandy-A_ into real-space. Wednesday saw a collection of Reaper transport ships floating lazily near the relay, while the system tactical hologram was quickly filled with literally thousands of ships as the sensor pings returned. Many of them were quickly tagged as either quarian or geth, with a mix of Reaper assault ships thrown in. It was, quite simply, chaos, as the fleets seemed to be firing indiscriminately at each other.

Wednesday noted that the closer subset of the geth / quarian offensive seemed to tag the _Normandy's_ presence and began turning towards then, weapons warming up, before their target vanished from their sensors as the _Normandy-A's _stealth systems kicked in. Wednesday linked her QEC temporarily to the command podium as she pressed Tali's button. A second later, the still flickering image of Tali appeared.

"I thought I saw something on the scanners," Tali said with some enthusiasm.

"I was getting jealous that you were throwing a party without me," Wednesday replied.

"Glad you could crash it then," Tali answered. "Actually, we could use your help. The fleet is mostly holding its own, but that Reaper is causing some difficulty. Come over to my ship and I'll give you all the details. Plus, if Garrus is very lucky, or very good at flattery, I'll let him drool in the vicinity of my big guns."

"You'd know more about that than I," Wednesday teased. Tali ended the conversation with a ping to the hidden _Normandy__-A_ coming from what was the largest geth ship in the entire fleet, the _0001_.

After a few minutes of Joker's fancy flying to avoid the worst of the inter-ship fire exchanges, the _Normandy__-A_ docked on a ship that dwarfed even Hackett's flagship, the _Diablo_. As the airlock cycled through for Wednesday, Garrus, Solana, Victus and Lurch, they were met on the other side by two surprising, yet welcome figures. First was Legion, still sporting the massive but non-critical hole in its chest region. Second was Tali, who surprised them all by greeting them without the usual faceplate. Her nose and mouth were still covered by a filter of some kind, but her cheeks and eyes were finally revealed, to Solana's obvious interest.

"Before you ask, yes, it's experimental; and it's a geth ship, what kind of allergens could there possibly be?" Tali said in lieu of a more traditional greeting. Wednesday just took it in stride, Garrus had to nudge his sister to stop her staring. The only one who hadn't reacted outwardly yet was Victus.

"Something you'd like to say... Actually, I don't know you, who are you?" Tali asked.

"Forgive me, I must seem very rude," Victus replied. "It's just one thing to hear, to see a report that the geth and quarians have reconciled, but it's quite another to be standing on a geth dreadnaught and greeted by a quarian Admiral. Adrien Victus, Primarch."

"You do seem to have a way with politicians Wednesday," Tali quipped, before gesturing them to follow deeper into the ship.

"This ship is certainly impressive," Victus remarked as they walked.

"The geth have a lot of ingenuity, properly channeled, and they are tireless perfectionists," Tali explained. "This ship's changed so much in the last six months, even I'm not sure what it can really be pushed to do anymore."

"The geth and I have provided stress test and predictive analytics on numerous scenarios, per your request, Admiral-Tali," Legion supplied. Wednesday just smirked at Legion's appellation for Tali as the young admiral responded.

"Simulations and predictions aren't the same as feeling a ship with your hands and feet, the way the bulkheads stretch near a star or planet, the hum of the coolant pumps, the vibrations of the eezo conduits," Tali waxed lyrically.

"Acknowledged," Legion replied mechanically, although Wednesday could have sworn it reminded her of Morticia's tone of voice when fending off Gomez and his sometimes overeager advances. Solana just started with rapt attention at the object of her current crush, particularly at the way her suit clung so tightly to her hips as she walked ahead of them.

After a few minutes walking they arrived at the command centre, nowhere near the outer surface of the ship after all, what use would the traditional bridge be on a geth ship? Arranged around the central console were several geth platforms of various configurations, as well as the holographic forms of Admirals Zaal'Koris and Shala'Raan.

"Captain Shepard, it is good to see you again. I only wish it were under more hospitable circumstances," Koris greeted them.

"You've got Reapers for me to kill, I call that just fine," Wednesday replied with a mildly terrifying grin.

"Yes, we've been dealing with them for nearly three days," Raan supplied. "Initially, it was just Reaper boarding parties, but now that this one has moved into a more central position, it seems happy enough for us to kill or cripple each other," she added, pointing to the hologram of the Reaper.

"I assume that Uncle Fester's indoctrination cure can't be distributed by air systems, and what's happening with the geth, didn't we fix the heretic problem?" Wednesday asked Legion pointedly.

"At the moment Wednesday, I'm one of only a few dozen volunteers who has a sufficiently boosted immune system to do this," Tali explained, pointing at her partially-exposed face. "As for the rest of us, you'd need to hand out the cure to each one individually, given the suits."

"The geth are more... problematic," Legion finally spoke. "It is true that due to recent action on largely your part, the heretic geth no longer follow the Old Machine paths. However, that is not the cause of the current crisis." Metallic face-plates twitched, and the hologram zoomed in to the Reaper and one of the few dreadnaughts of quarian design, labelled by the system as the _Lament of Exodus_. "Based on analysis of code, we believe that Admirals Han'Gerrel and Daro'Xen discovered an Old Machine device, which corrupted nearby geth systems. The Old Machine appears to be amplifying this effect to a significant radius."

"Alright, I'll ask the obvious, why haven't you just shot it down?" Garrus asked from the gunnery control station for the _0001_.

"We tried it, but it's somehow infected the targeting systems of the whole fleet. Anything we try to fire at it goes wide. It's seriously pissing me off," Tali explained, thumping the console.

"Alright, so what's the most important objective to accomplish first, Admiral?" Wednesday asked calmly, like a teacher to a student.

"As much as I would enjoy showing that smug bosh'tet the business end of the main gun, all it's really doing is coordinating and amplifying whatever Han and Xen found. And now that I've got a proper stealth ship instead of one of my prototypes, I think I have a plan."

Wednesday smirked proudly, and gestured for her former student to elaborate.

"Alright, so the _Normandy_ can get us in quietly up to Han's ship, then we do what we do best," Tali said with a knowing look. "After we destroy whatever they shouldn't be playing with, we finish up by shooting that, slapping some patches on the damaged ships and entering the war the way we need to."

"Excellent," Wednesday replied, her grin becoming predatory.

* * *

Down in the room that used to house her mind, EDI brushed her fingers idly on one of the servers. It was an odd sensation, feeling the pressure and coolness on her fingertips, registering the input and responding to it automatically. It was similar to getting used to her initial installation on the _Normandy_, but different, more intimate in a way. It was interesting to her to explore get new body in small ways while she worked on smoothing out the few remaining issues in interconnecting the VIs that were needed to replace her functionality.

She didn't turn instantly as the door opened behind her, like she had in the first few, terrifying days in her new body. Instead she waited until the sound of approaching footsteps indicated her visitor was within two meters.

"Commander, did you need something?" she asked with mild surprise as she turned around. Aside from the techs, Sam was usually the only person on the ship who entered this room during regular hours, or what passed for them on the _Normandy-A_.

"I do in fact," Wednesday replied. "I need your brain."

"Then that would make you one of the politest zombies I've heard of," EDI replied with a small smile. Wednesday laughed, genuinely tickled by the AI's budding humor.

"Undead urges aside, I need you on the _0001_ to coordinate our communications with the geth and quarian fleets. They also appear to have the Reaper infiltrating their targeting systems, and aside from Legion, you're the only friendly being I know familiar enough with Reaper code to be able to assist."

"Then I shall assist them as best I can," EDI answered with conviction.

"That's my girl," Wednesday muttered to herself. "Oh, don't forget to say hi to Tali on your way out," she added with a wicked grin as she left.

* * *

"So, when were you going to tell me about your sister and her painfully obvious crush on me?" Tali asked Garrus as the _Normandy__-A_ undocked from the _0001_.

"I wasn't," he responded, checking the calibration on his rifles. "It's far more fun to watch her squirm. Also, it's mild payback for what she put me through when I went back to Palaven."

"Well, that's alright then, as long as you don't try the whole 'protective brother' thing."

"Tali, you consistently kicked my ass in close-quarters, and we both survived the carnival of horrors that is the Addams at their unfiltered worst. I seriously doubt there is anything I could say or do that would make you bat an eyelid, even if I can actually see them now."

"You do have a point," Tali conceded.

"And if you try and gross me out with sordid tales of the things you no doubt will do to her mind and body, just remember I accidentally walked in on Fester and Dr Chakwas on Illium that time, and I have no compunction in showing it to you the recording I apparently had the presence of mind to make. There is nothing that will turn you off the topic of sex faster than the sight of that man's pale cheeks." Garrus shuddered as he repressed the memory anew. Even Tali blanched at the thought.

* * *

As the _Normandy__-A_ approached the _Lament of Exodus_, Wednesday kept an eye on the hologram of the Reaper. She knew the Collectors had seen the original _Normandy_ under stealth, a technology their masters were sure to have. It just remained to be seen if this one did anything about their approach, or if it was too engrossed in its current task of coordinating the battle. Joker took the safer option of piloting the ship to the side of the quarian dreadnaught opposite to the Reaper, just in case. The ground team had assembled near the airlock, and Tali used one of the nearby consoles to slice into the docking tube controls for the larger ship. With a typically clever code insert, the tube extended to the _Normandy's_ airlock without alerting the crew of the quarian flagship.

Wednesday nodded to Sam, who took temporary command once again, before she joined the insertion team. For this mission, she took the three turians, Tali, Liara, Vega and Lurch. Malra had opted to stay behind and try and formulate a version of Fester's indoctrination cure that could be applied through a quarian suit without damaging it. The airlock closed on the insertion team, and Tali spoke.

"If possible, try not to kill any quarians," she requested. "They could still be useful once they are cured."

"I make no promises for Han or Xen," Garrus replied.

"Them, you can kill," Tali spat venomously.

The outer door opened and they made their way quickly to the other side, mindful that they were at their most exposed. Once safely at the other side, Tali retracted the tube and freed the _Normandy_. They then split up into two teams, with Wednesday, Solana and Tali in the front due to their preference for shotguns and close-quarters combat, the rest of them hanging back for ranged support.

"We'll start with the bridge," Tali explained as she turned at an intersection. "If the device isn't there, at least we can take control of the ship to figure out where it might be."

The team went down several further corridors at Tali's direction without encountering any resistance.

"This feels too easy," Victus said uneasily.

"Oh don't worry, any minute now the walls will burst open and we'll all be neck-deep in geth," Garrus said with a chuckle.

"Or rachni," Tali added.

"Or horrible plant monsters, or indoctrinated quarian marines - even Reaper forces aren't outside the realm of possibility," Liara finished calmly. Victus looked at the calm, deadpan expression on Garrus' face, repeated on Tali, Liara, Lurch and Wednesday. Solana was too busy trying not to stare at Tali, which left only Vega and his worried grimace the only beacon of sanity and reality in the present company.

Then, of course, it actually _happened_.

As they passed through another bulkhead, the doors slammed shut both ahead and behind them. Wall and ceiling panels dropped to the floor as various husks rained down from the ceiling and geth platforms burst from the walls. The front group fired their guns once or twice before deciding the ratio of damage to the ship against damage to their foes wasn't favourable. Wednesday quickly swapped for sword and pistol, Tali for the qel'arka on her thighs and Solana glowed with dark energy as the blades on her gauntlets extended.

The rear group went from slight panic to cool battle focus in the blink of an eye. Liara threw up a biotic bubble, which warped the path of the incoming geth rounds and altered gravitational pull in random directions just outside the bubble. Garrus and Victus fell to one knee in perfect synchronisation, rifles pulled tight to their shoulders as they began firing. Lurch and Vega reluctantly acknowledged their preferred weapons would not serve them in these tight spaces. Lurch just reached through the gravity bubble to the nearest enemy, a husk stuck on the roof, before pulling it in half.

"Been waiting to try this," Vega said, pounding his fists together. As they made contact his armour lit up as experimental circuits activated. He grabbed a geth soldier that came too close, electricity arcing briefly through his arm into the metallic body before a powerful blow from his free hand caved in its chest. Vega threw it into another geth, his armour infusing the move with power and speed, turning the geth projectile into a cannonball that tore through enemies until it embedded in the sealed bulkhead. The skirmish was over before he could find another target.

"Excellent work Mr Vega," Wednesday said as she cleaned the blood and gore from her blade. "There may be hope for you yet."

"I'm guessing we should expect more of that?" Victus asked as he collected some cooled heat sinks.

"No, they know it failed, we shouldn't expect them to try it again. Besides, the bridge isn't too far away," Tali explained.

"Well, that's something at least," Vega replied grumpily.

The team made its way to the bridge door without any further resistance.

"Any other ways in?" Wednesday asked as Tali began slicing the lock controls.

"There's a door on the other side, plus a few vents that you might be able to get through using the crawlspace." She absently sent Wednesday a schematic of the bridge access options while she subconsciously slowed down accessing the door. Victus went wide-eyed as Wednesday disappeared from view as her geth cloaking device activated.

"Don't bother complaining, she gets all the cool toys," Garrus whispered to his fellow turian.

Wednesday squeezed into the crawlspace and upwards, getting into position to get the literal drop on her foes. She got into a place where she could see and hear everything just as Tali finally opened the door. The _Normandy_ team rushed into the room expecting a fight, but what they found left some of them wishing they had walked into a raging firefight instead.

The bridge had been rearranged into a shrine dedicated to the Reaper device, glowing purple and malevolently on an altar in the center. Arrayed in genuflection around the shrine were geth and quarian in various stages of indoctrination and Reaper zombification. Taking the principal places in this bizarre ritual were two silhouettes that should have been unrecognizable, yet were unmistakable. They all turned around as Tali stepped forward, the lesser minions making way for the two leaders among them under the all-consuming control of the Reaper.

"Well, the hour is late for you to realise the error of your ways, young Tali," the smaller of the figures said. Tali recognised the voice and the body as that of Daro'Xen, but that is where the similarities ended. Grafted in place of her arms and legs, and likely under the remains of her bodysuit, they could all see synthetic limbs proudly shown. The ends of the fingers and toes were enlarged, and the artificial skin and musculature was a mottled yellow-green colour. On her wrists were alien gauntlets, glowing red and black and pulsing with visible dark energy.

"She could be here to join us, to take control of the geth and bring the fight to those who have wronged our people. Rael would have, were he still alive. How about it, kiddo?"

Tali just sneered at the other figure. It may have once been Han'Gerrel, but now it was more machine then man, twisted and evil. Like Xen, he had traded in the weakness of organic flesh for what he probably believed in his current state was better. However, Xen had opted for something close to her original shape and size, something lithe and sinuous. Han obviously had bigger ideas. His head appeared to be all that remained of his original body, his neck disappearing into the torso of a heavily modified geth Prime. His thick wrists sported similar gauntlets to Xen, and there was an array of heavy weapons pinned to his towering frame, taller even than Lurch. What appeared to be some kind of thruster could also be seen over his shoulders.

"You know, what I can't believe is how pathetic you two are," Tali said with only the barest hint of sadness. "You two could have been great, your names would have gone down in history as the leaders of our people who reclaimed our planet as we made peace with the geth we wronged centuries ago. Instead, you've become worse monsters than Rael. At least he had an excuse I could believe. What about you?" she challenged.

"The geth peace was a lie, Tali. Sooner or later, they would turn on us again," Han said. "We needed something to ensure they would never be a threat again."

"In truth, we didn't care if the solution was kill or control, but when we found it, it was beyond our wildest dreams," Xen continued. "This device we traded with the batarians for initially gave us control of the geth. But soon, we discovered it had other, more interesting qualities. In time, it gave us the knowledge not only to control the geth, but surpass them!"

"With the technology of this device, we can upgrade our people, raise them up to a place where we can control the galaxy!" Han added, the hungry gleam in his eye visible even through the faceplate.

_Seeing this, the Illusive Jackass makes more sense_, Wednesday thought to herself as she quietly removed the panel on the ceiling vent to make her entrance.

"I can't believe I used to look up to you," Tali muttered with mild disgust directed to Han. "The only thing that device can give you is a slow descent into madness. Have you forgotten so quickly what happened to Saren?"

"Saren was weak where we are strong," Han thundered. "Last chance Tali, join us or be destroyed for standing in our way!"

Wednesday took that as her cue, unsheathing her blade and dropping silently from the ceiling, intending to decapitate Han in her descent. It started well, only for Han to turn to face her, catching her in a massive hand.

"Did you forget that the geth made that stealth technology!?" Han roared as he began to squeeze. After a few seconds, the stealth systems were overwhelmed and Wednesday shimmered back into the visible spectrum. "Shepard, I should have killed you when I had the chance!" Han shouted again as he saw who he had caught. He reached back with one hand to smash her into a pulp, before he discovered he couldn't move his readied arm. He risked a look back to see Lurch's hand holding his wrist, an expression of implacable malice barely visible inside his helmet. Wednesday used the momentary distraction to get herself out of her bind as she joined the battle properly.

While Wednesday had distracted Han, Xen ordered the geth and quarian forces to attack. Tali led from the front for the counter-charge, her shotgun blasting the wave of techno-necrotic abominations. Solana was close behind, glad that the bridge gave her some open spaces to use her abilities. Garrus, Victus, Liara and Vega took cover behind various consoles as Lurch waded forward to stop Han making a paste of his master. Victus and Vega fired indiscriminately at geth and Reaper forces, for there were plenty of both to go around. The two of them barely held back the tide as Liara kept their backs mostly clear with her biotics.

Garrus drew a bead on Xen and fired. His first few shots splashed harmlessly against her shields, obviously enhanced by geth technology. She took one scathing look at him before he could release another burst, squatting briefly for a moment before her artificial limbs propelled her into the ceiling. The purpose of her enlarged digits was made apparent as they gripped the panels and beams, giving her a commanding view of the bridge. She let go with one hand, pointing the wrist in Garrus' direction. Garrus' reaction was to duck behind the console, which proved to be the right choice a second later when where he had been was blasted with something powerful, yet unidentifiable.

"Liara, we've got another Saren situation!" he called out.

"You mean the indoctrination and cybernetic enhancements, I already noticed!" she replied sternly.

"No, the other Saren situation," he responded as he fired upwards again, Xen deftly jumping to avoid the incoming fire. Liara followed with her eyes upwards as Garrus fired at the quickly moving Xen, ducking down as she fired her wrist weapon in return.

"Oh, that kind of Saren situation," she muttered, biotically blasting back a mix of geth and Reapers as she focused her attention upwards.

Wednesday barely had a moment to right herself before Han and Lurch began exchanging blows that would dent starship hulls. Seeing that Lurch had Han at least contained for the moment, Wednesday busied herself in fighting through the forces surrounding the Reaper device. Her sword sliced through corrupted flesh and her pistol shredded synthetic skin, servos and conduits as she pushed her way steadily forward. As she finally had a clear shot, she heard a shout of rage before she was impacted from behind by the flying form of Lurch.

Vega and Victus stepped back to back as they moved in a circle, keeping the seemingly endless wave of enemies from overwhelming their position. Garrus and Liara kept trying to pin down Xen, whose powerful acrobatics kept her just ahead of their combined fire and biotics. Garrus had taken a hit from whatever her wrist weapon kept firing and he felt sicker by the moment, probably some kind of radioactive poisoning. This meant he would have to suffer through the care of Doctor Chakwas later, but that would be fine as long as he got to kill Xen first, who was rapidly ascending his list of most frustrating enemies.

"She's too fast!" Liara said in frustration as Xen jumped just before her biotic stasis field could fully establish and immobilise their foe.

"I'll try leading her to the left, see if you can hit that point over there before she lands," Garrus replied.

Wednesday pushed Lurch off her and blasted apart a geth approaching with a flamethrower.

"Oh no, not today," Han said angrily as he pulled out two rotary-barreled weapons and held them like pistols. "Today, you dance to my tune!" Wednesday had only a second to react as the guns revved up before unloading an almost literal wall of superheated, supersonic metal slugs. She just avoided death by severe metal poisoning by activating her jet boots, properly calibrated now after her experience on Tuchanka. As she did her best to dodge the incoming fire, it gave Lurch the opportunity to regain his footing, grab the nearest corpse and take thundering steps forward, swinging the geth like a club.

The inactive geth smashed into the former Admiral's right arm, throwing off his aim and distracting him from his attempts to kill Wednesday with extreme prejudice. Han shouted savagely and activated his gauntlet, causing some kind of dark energy blast to knock back even the normally implacable Addams zombie. With Han distracted, it gave Wednesday an opportunity to finally land and reorient herself, intent on getting to the Reaper device. As she approached, she saw a purple blur as Solana had the same idea. The turian stopped just short of the altar, reaching out to pick up the device, only for tendrils of dark energy to snake up her arm, causing her to scream in pain.

Solana's scream, or more likely the device's trap activating, temporarily broke the concentration of their enemies, enough that Han was laid flat on his back by a blow from Lurch, and Xen finally took a hit in her side from Garrus' near-constant firing.

"_**No!**_" Han and Xen shouted simultaneously. From the floor, Han activated his jetpack, blasting up and towards the altar. As he came back to his feet next to the device, Solana was blasted away. Han activated both of his gauntlets, a malevolent red shield bubble surging to life around him and the altar. Xen jumped from ceiling to wall to the altar, passing through the shield even as bullets, tech attacks and biotics were repelled or absorbed.

Wednesday pulled Solana clear with her biotics as she watched the shield shrug off all attacks thrown at it, but remembering Xen passing through it. She also remembered a similar shield when she faced the Shadow Broker, and was ready to try a different tactic. She readied a grenade as she saw Xen unhooking the device from the altar. She charged with her biotics, stopping just short of the shield.

"Goodbye," she said with a smile as she hit the fuse control and gently passed the grenade through the kinetic barrier. Han looked down with what she assumed was horror as the grenade slipped through the shield to land at his feet. He tried to get his massive limbs moving again to kick it away, but it was too late. The grenade exploded with devastating force, the Reaper-tech shield containing and enhancing the destructive force.

A second later the shield fell, and as the smoke cleared they saw that while damaged, Han and Xen weren't out of the fight yet. Han was kneeling, as the leg nearest the grenade was shredded just below the knee, while Xen's face could now be seen under the shattered faceplate, her pale skin riddled with desiccated black and purple blotches where the Reaper implants had been inserted.

"Xen, get it to safety, I'lI hold them off!" Han shouted, reaching behind his back and over his shoulders to grab his weapons. Except instead of just grabbing one, he grabbed all of them, attaching the various heavy weapons to his gauntlets instead of holding them conventionally. Even Wednesday's eyes went wide stat the assortment of barrels now pointed at them all. They all took the brief second as the various weapons revved up to try and get to cover, before the bridge began exploding from the sheer weight of fire he was putting out. Xen took the opportunity to take the device and begin jumping away.

"Cover me!" Wednesday ordered as she prepared herself. "NOW!" she shouted, jumping out of cover and activating her jet boots in an effort to catch the slippery Xen, while the rest of her team leaned out as best they could to fire at Han. At first their shots pinged harmlessly against his regenerated shield, but eventually the shield winked out and their various shots began to take a toll on his body. Eventually more and more shots began to interrupt vital system circuits and conduits, leaving him to fall immobile into the floor, technically alive but dead in all the ways that really mattered. Tali walked over to him, kicking an arm out of the way as she straddled his chest. She pulled out both of her qel'arka, using the sharp points to prise his faceplate away from his helmet. Inside, his face was even more corrupted than Xen, his spine visible in places as it was wired directly into the geth hardware.

"I did it for him Tali, and I'd do it again," he rasped weakly.

"I know you would, which is why you don't get mercy or understanding, not today. Because as much as I loved Rael, he is no longer my father. I have a new family now, a new purpose. As much as I can respect the strength of your convictions, I cannot abide your choices. Thus always to traitors," Tali said quietly yet firmly as she stabbed down with her weapons, the pointed blades stabbing through his eyes and into what was left of his brain, killing him for good.

Wednesday slashed out with her sword as she came close, the nimble Xen only losing a single toe as she jumped away.

"Why won't you die!?" Xen screamed in frustration, twisting mid-jump in order to fire off her wrist weapon.

"You first!" Wednesday shouted back. She changed her jump boots for a biotic charge to get ahead of Xen and cut her off from the escape pods. Xen was startled to see the hated human in front of her, firing with her gauntlet as she tried to change her vector. Unfortunately Wednesday had managed to time her jump well, and Xen was vulnerable for a moment as she was airborne. Wednesday smirked cruelly as she prepared a biotic attack, throwing it so it would strike Xen just as she landed.

As Xen touched the wall she held out hope she would make it, before the gravity shifted and she was thrown into the floor, unable to compensate for the increase in her body weight before she was pinned to the floor by Wednesday's sword. Xen tried to twist enough to blast Wednesday point blank, before a strange loss of sensation caused her to look over at where both of her arms had been cut cleanly at the wrist. Another stabbing pain in her chest signaled that Wednesday had impaled her again, this time striking a lung.

"Do I have your attention yet?" Wednesday asked.

"You will _lose_!" Xen shouted with impotent rage, coughing up something blood-like. "The cycle will not be broken by the likes of you!"

"Maybe, maybe not, but as long as I have breath left, I will continue to fight. If we lose, we lose by killing as many of them as we can. And today, that means you." With that, a scything sweep of her sword separated Xen's head from her body, ending that threat and leaving Wednesday with the puzzle of the Reaper device.

She eyed the device warily as the radioed her team.

"Everything alright back there?"

"Han is dead, we're alive, I call that a win," Tali responded. "Unfortunately, the bridge has pretty much had it."

"Can we still control the ship?" Wednesday asked.

"I could probably get it to work a little bit, maybe a reposition to fire the main gun, but then this old girl needs some serious work."

"Alright, see if you can get us a shot at the Reaper. I'd tell you when, but I suspect you'll know."

Wednesday then picked out Pugsley's special grenade and attached it gingerly to the Reaper device. She wanted to handle the device as little as possible, so she used her biotics to pick it up and take it to the nearest escape pod. Setting off the timer, she closed the bulkhead and sent it on its way. She went to the porthole to watch as several seconds later the pod exploded in a brilliant, if brief, fireball.

A second later, she felt more than heard the bass roar of the Reaper as it felt its control slip. Though it would like nothing more than to destroy the dreadnaught right now, the sudden loss of the device meant that it had to dedicate too many of its admittedly limited resources to maintaining control of the indoctrinated quarian forces and subverted geth. It had enough to speak to her though, in the words spoken by its own master, Harbinger.

"**Shepard**," she felt through the very ship itself. "**Harbinger told us of you. You act without knowing, stumbling blindly. You only delay the inevitable.**"

_You'd think that after giving that speech enough times only for me to keep killing them, they would get the point,_ she thought to herself.

"Any time you like Tali " Wednesday said, ignoring the Reaper.

"The bosh'tet is still affecting the targeting systems, but I've got an idea."

"Why did that sound like I won't enjoy this idea?" Wednesday asked.

"It's all about if you think the pros outweigh the cons," Tali replied. "How close are you to an airlock?"

"Pretty close, why?"

"Well, it goes like this..."

* * *

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Wednesday said. She was currently standing outside on the hull of the _Lament of Exodus_, a strange device in her hand.

"Well, in fairness, Morticia did give me a few extra lessons," Tali replied. "Now I've linked the fleet's targeting systems to your designator, hopefully it should be enough to overcome whatever it's doing to avoid being shot."

"That fills me with confidence," Wednesday said sarcastically, before the _Lament_ moved into a firing position to the Reaper. The destroyer, small by Reaper standards but still nearly as large as the ship she was standing on, finally turned towards them, relinquishing control of the geth and quarian forces under its sway for a moment.

"**Your time has come to an end****,**** Shepard**," it rumbled loud enough even for her to hear it though her suit, which should have been impossible. She just set her radio for an open frequency, not caring if it heard her or not, but it would make it sweeter if it did.

"Tell your friends that when I come for them, they can go to hell," Wednesday said as she sighted down the barrel and pulled the trigger. Instead of any kind of round, a bright red targeting laser shot forward, painting the approach of the Reaper as it prepared its main weapon.

"Never mind, I'll tell them myself," she added as she felt the massive ship under her shudder as the main gun spat out its hypervelocity slug, shaking the Reaper as its kinetic barrier deflected the shot. The ancient machine barely had time to take in what was about to happen when thousands upon thousands of shots fired from a range of quarian and geth ships crashed into it, overwhelming its shields and tearing it to pieces. The largest shot, a blue-green blast of molten metal, tore through its central eye, causing a chain reaction that lead to it exploding violently.

* * *

"I've got good news and bad news," Sam said from the _Normandy__-A_ as the damaged _Lament_ began docking with the _0001_.

"Lay it on me," Wednesday replied.

"Good news, the quarian and geth forces under Reaper control appear to have stopped now that they aren't receiving orders. Bad news, they don't seem to be responding to anyone else's orders."

"Well, at least they've stopped shooting at us," Vega said with relief.

"Tell that to whatever Xen shot me with," Garrus complained. He and Solana were both looking less than fresh after the firefight.

"We'll get you to Chakwas soon, Garrus," Wednesday said, going over the options and possibilities going forward. She had assumed that once the Reaper and whatever device it was using was destroyed, the geth at least would be freed. She would need to consult Legion for that. The quarians were not as easy, as their suits made the distribution of an indoctrination cure problematic. She needed to talk to Malra, see what the quarian prodigy had been able to whip up. As the airlock opened, she strode confidently to the command centre, where this time Admirals Koris and Raan were there in person alongside Legion, several other geth and EDI.

"Shepard, thank you again," Raan opened.

"It seems that every time we meet, the quarian people become more indebted to you," Koris added gratefully.

"Would that I had better news," Wednesday replied. "I assume you are aware of the situation?"

"Yes, very troubling," Raan said. "Unfortunate that once again our biology works against us."

"I had someone working on that, let's see what they've come up with," Wednesday said, opening a line. "Malra, have you had any success?"

"Some. I've worked out a formula that can be dispersed via the air systems that can infiltrate a standard quarian suit without causing loss of integrity. Unfortunately, it had to be manually programmed into the air systems."

"There's no way of telling if they will just let us work or try to attack is if we went in ourselves," Koris mused.

"What if there was a way to order then to do it themselves?" a timid voice asked. It took a moment for everyone to realise that EDI was the one who spoke.

"They aren't responding to any orders or hails we are sending out," Raan supplied.

"It's because you aren't giving them the right way," EDI answered. "As they are now, they will only take orders from their masters, the Reapers."

"Well, I don't see any of them ordering them to cure their thralls any time soon," Koris muttered. Wednesday said nothing, but watched EDI intently. The remarkably human android had a strange look on her face, as if she knew what needed to be done, but was apprehensive to actually do it.

_A test of bravery then_, Wednesday mused as Koris and Raan argued.

"If there was a way to order them, is there a program that can be sent to get them to make and distribute this cure themselves?" Wednesday asked quietly.

"Yes, I'll send you the program now," Malra replied. A second later Wednesday had the executable program on her omni-tool, and walked it over to EDI.

"You sure you can do this?" Wednesday asked.

"I am reasonably confident," the android replied with a tremulous waver.

"Are you afraid?"

"Yes."

"Good. Hold on to that feeling, it will keep you human."

EDI double-checked the program, before she moved over to the communication suite. There she tampered with the outgoing signal so it would mimic the frequency of Reaper control signatures. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, affectations picked up from her current body's subroutines. When she opened her eyes again, a deep red glow could be seen from the pupils. When she opened her mouth, the voice that escaped it shook the room.

"**All quarian forces, you are to execute the following program and then await further orders**."

She sent the program next, and once she confirmed it had been sent properly, she immediately closed the communication suite. Her body shook as she fought to repress that programming once more.

"Well done EDI, that took real courage," Wednesday said softly. EDI nodded, putting up a brave face. "Head back to the _Normandy_, I'll speak with you later."

"Alright, one problem down, now let's deal with the corrupted geth," Wednesday announced as EDI joined the Vakarian siblings heading to the now-docked _Normandy_.

"Shepard-Commander, I believe I may have a solution," Legion supplied.

"I'm listening," Wednesday replied.

"Since the arrival of the virtual race on the Citadel made news, the geth have been experimenting with creating immersion interface pods to allow geth and organics to interact on a different level. The Old Machine code is too difficult for the geth alone to purge, but an organic mind would have a different enough perspective that it could help us find and eliminate it."

"Any danger of a Tron-style incident?" Wednesday asked pointedly, smirking once again.

"The danger of such an incident is non-zero," Legion admitted after taking 2.3 seconds to locate the meaning of Tron on the extranet, purchase and view the film, then compare the situations. Wednesday just smiled, because life wasn't fun without a little risk every now and then.

* * *

"Not exactly what I was expecting," Wednesday said as she looked at the digital interface pod the geth had been working on.

"You expected anything?" Tali asked.

"I made you watch the Matrix Tali," Wednesday complained.

"You made me watch a, lot of things Wednesday, they all became a bit of a blur."

"And after I watched Fleet and Flotilla in good faith, this is how you betray me?" Wednesday sighed melodramatically.

"Just get in the pod before I forget another useless, archaic bit of human culture and send you back into your waiting grave as your heart gives out from the shock," Tali replied with mock exasperation.

"Fine," Wednesday said as the pod opened. She stepped inside and the hatch began to close. As the hatch closed and several holographic screens began flickering, Wednesday asked "So what is this going to be-"

A blinding white flash made her blink, but when she opened her eyes again, she was not where she was when she closed them.

"-like?" she finished. She looked at her surroundings, seeing only simple geometric shapes making up a haphazard digital landscape. The Matrix this was not. She looked down at herself, pleased to see that the low poly-count thankfully didn't extend to her figure.

It also didn't extend to what she had stepped into the interface pod wearing, as she was currently naked, not that she particularly minded about that. Social norms were for other people, after all.

"You ok in there?" Wednesday heard Tali's voice ask from seemingly everywhere.

"Well, disappointed that I'm not all dressed in skin-tight leather and knowing every martial art under various suns, but I'm coping."

"You're an Addams, what the hell do you need more martial arts knowledge for? You'll probably be fine, more's the pity," Tali sighed.

"So Legion, you asked me in here, I assume you had a plan?" Wednesday asked generally.

"I am uploading an executable that should be sufficient to target and destroy the Old Machine code," the geth informed her.

There was a smaller flash of light, and Wednesday found something float down into her waiting hands.

"Did you make it look like a gun on purpose?" she asked.

"The interface responds to your thought patterns. You perceive the program as a weapon, it becomes one to your mind."

"Is that also why all I see is stacked cubes as fast as the eye can see, or why I'm completely naked?"

"The appearance of your location I suspect is low resolution because you have no frame of reference for a digital realm," Legion replied.

"The naked thing is just you," Tali added.

"Alright, let's do this thing," Wednesday answered, gripping the digital weapon. As if on cue, a portal rose up invitingly. Stepping through, she suddenly found herself somewhere different to where she had been. The landscape was now littered with cubes stacked into rough towers, and just after her little platform the floor seemingly disappeared. The most striking thing was that hanging between the towers, and linked to them by thick strands of mutating polyhedrals, was a growth that reminded her strongly of the Thorian. In contrast to the clean white, the Reaper code pulsed red and black, and even as she watched the cubes of geth code were being slowly overwritten, tendrils of cubes becoming unstable polyhedrons.

Wasting no time, Wednesday raised the weapon and pulled what looked like a trigger, a beam of blue light pouring forth. She sighted down the barrel as she aimed at the nearest tendril, the blue light burning the Reaper code away from the geth cubes, but leaving a black, burnt rent in its wake. The central blob screamed mechanically, turning its attentions to its attacker. Wednesday grit her teeth in determination as she continued to fire, rather than be unnerved by the sensation of being watched by something without eyes but with boundless, immeasurable enmity of life.

As the third tendril burned away, the Old Machine lost its patience with the pest annoying it, creating another tendril to swat it. Wednesday jumped out of the way of the incoming line of code, her hand instinctively moving through the motions of swinging her sword. She was correspondingly delighted to find that the geth code weapon had changed in her hand to a European long sword, her other hand now holding a pistol. The blue edge of the weapon still burned through the Reaper code just as effectively as before, the polyhedral shadow withering away from the cut.

The Reaper intelligence classed her as a threat now, not just an annoyance, and quickly re-prioritised. While maintaining connection to the existing conversion strands, it separated a large portion of itself from the central core to deal with Wednesday. Wednesday tried to fire at it with her new pistol, modeled on what looked like an old Beretta, but the new entity merely dodged as it coalesced. She was forced to dodge as it began to fire code shards at her position, so she only saw glimpses as its shape wavered and writhed.

At first the shape looked like a Reaper, but either the code wasn't big enough to fully form, or something else was going on. Either way, it gave up trying the Reaper form for something smaller. As the form condensed into something small enough to deal with Wednesday, yet still tower over her, it looked finally like something out of Giger's fever-dreams. The thing had six limbs, each ending in four digits. From its armoured carapace protruded a dozen spikes in all directions and two long, sinuously prehensile tails that ended in what looked like vicious barb hooks. Its head seemed to be diamond-shaped, a set of six malevolently glowing eyes sunken into a face with no other recognisable features.

The thing bellowed, the sound emanating from no mouth yet she could feel it in her whole body as the call of the Reapers. Wednesday leaned out of cover to fire at the digital abomination, only for the damage she had caused to heal and vanish in seconds. At the same time, the geth code pillar she had been using as cover was shattered by a two-armed strike that hit with immeasurable force. Geth code went tumbling, or was destroyed outright by the blow, which was followed up by both of the Reaper code's tails stabbing where Wednesday was revealed. One went wide as she dived, but the other grazed her side, the wound not bleeding but revealing the damaged tissue beneath and causing more pain than she would have liked.

"Legion, this thing isn't going down easy, anything you can do to help?" she asked aloud.

"The geth have already committed significant resources to containing the Old Machine code," came the mechanical, yet still apologetic, reply.

"Well is there some trick to this pace you haven't told me yet?"

"Your experience with the interface is shaped, and limited, by your perceptions. Theoretically, if you focused hard enough, it may be possible to alter your experience."

"Oh, that could be fun," Wednesday said with a smirk, one cut short by the Old Machine shooting weaponised code fragments at her from its four upraised palms.

_Let's start small_, she thought to herself, focusing on her perceptions of gravity as she ran towards the nearest pillar, this one thankfully stretching from floor to the ceiling. She kept firing as she ran before making a leap as it made a scything sweep with its tails. Her trajectory took her over the appendages and through the air until she hit the pillar, her feet planting lightly on its side as her personal gravity shifted, so she was now perpendicular to the Reaper construct.

_Now we're getting somewhere_, she thought to herself as she fired at one of its eyes, causing it to rear back as if injured. The thing bellowed and thrashed blindly at the pillar, Wednesday believing herself to be faster than the thing could flail and finding that (for the most part) she was as she danced around the hands larger than she was.

Wednesday's focus faltered for a second and she was hit backhanded through the code pillar. On top of the unpleasant sensation of being forced through what felt like soft rocks, her mind was bombarded by computer code too fast to follow until she crashed all the way through.

_Alright, new tactic_, she thought, remembering the feeling of the brief time in free space after the first _Normandy_ was destroyed but before she asphyxiated. She felt cold for a second before blocking it out and finding herself once again weightless and floating. She didn't have long to adapt as the thing came back at her, one of its eyes burnt out as her attacks were finally overwhelming its regenerative coding. It lashed out at her with its arms and tail, determined to not only kill her, but make her understand the futility of her resistance first. She dodged the first few swipes and counterattacked with her sword, slicing fingers and hands that took longer to regenerate each time, but taking several serious wounds herself in the process.

She realised that this was a battle she could only lose if she kept fighting on these terms, so she did what any Addams would do and changed the rules. Besides, as the gash on her leg now demonstrated, concentrating on flying is difficult. Instead of gravity no longer applying to her, she instead shifted her focus so that her personal gravity was instead aligned with the arm she was now standing on after removing the offending hand. Running along the arm to its torso she found that simply dodging the incoming strikes did far more damage as the extra arms and tails stabbed and slashed at the limb she was traversing.

As she reached its shoulder joint, the lower one for the pair of arms on this side, she swapped the sword and pistol for a pair of hatchets as she stabbed them into the construct's shifting polyhedral hide as it tried to shake her off. She responded by slicing deeply into its upper arm several times where it met the torso, hacking it off to another pained roar. She dug in as she climbed up the neck towards its face, only to have the entire head turn owl-like to face her, its five remaining eyes burning malevolence.

"**You cannot be allowed to continue**," the Reaper intoned, and Wednesday felt her very bones vibrating in response. She replied by shooting out another eye.

"I didn't cheat death themself just to roll over because an oversized robot squid says so," Wednesday replied defiantly. "For good or ill, the cycle of ignorant death ends!"

"**The Cycle MUST continue**," the Reaper ordered. "**Harbinger commands it. The galaxy must be cleansed, it is the law.**" The Reaper's words set a fire in Wednesday's soul, even as she avoided its last, desperate efforts to kill her.

"I am Wednesday. _Friday_. _**Addams**_!" She shouted, punctuating each pause with a shot to its face. "I fulfill my Duty to maintain Balance! There is only **ONE LAW** in the universe, evolve or die! And I will fight with all I have to ensure that all life has that choice, and I will not suffer those who place themselves above. _That_. _**LAW!**_"

With a primal yell of generations of Addams, of all life extinguished by the Reaper's slavish devotion to their corrupted leader, Wednesday became a transcendent force of digital nature, growing larger than the Reaper construct, her hands glowing blue as she tore her foe asunder, disintegrating it with a blinding, disorienting flash that overwhelmed everything.

As her perceptions returned, she found herself back at her starting size. The geth cubes remained unchanged, except for those corrupted by the Reaper, where only black rents bore witness. Yet even as she watched, the geth code began repairing itself. Of the Reaper, there would soon be no sign it had ever existed.

"Well, this has been fun, but I'm ready to go back to Kansas," Wednesday said aloud to her watchers.

"Acknowledged, logging you out," she heard Legion say as the landscape began to dissolve.

* * *

Ash twisted her torso gingerly, still a little sore but at least on her feet again. Kaidan winced as he pulled a shirt over his head, but was likewise mostly recovered. A curious observer might note that both of them seemed to be anxious to speak, yet not to speak first. Finally, Ash broke the tense silence that had fallen on the room since the acting Councillor Udina had left the room.

"I'm going to take the offer," she said quietly, yet with a firmness of character.

"I'm still not sure what Udina has planned, but it would probably be easier if we took it. On the inside looking out, rather than the other way around," Kaidan replied in an agreeing tone. "Though I'm concerned that we haven't been able to get a hold of Admiral Hackett or Anderson."

"They're busy people in peacetime, and have you looked out the window recently?" Ash asked sarcastically.

"You're not wrong Ash, it just feels like we should have at least been given an acknowledgement from them, given how much they took an interest in Shepard when she was appointed."

"Maybe they're waiting until we're cleared for active duty?" Ash suggested.

"Yeah, maybe," Kaidan answered, not entirely convinced.

* * *

Unnoticed by either of the prospective Spectre operatives, their conversation was of great interest to someone watching their window. Though their interest was far from benign, and more focused on the conversants than the conversation.

"I could kill them both, right now," the one sighting down the scope said with quiet, powerful purpose. The crosshairs danced along the features of Kaidan Alenko as she spoke, finger gently caressing the trigger.

"You could, but what would it prove?" asked the companion seated at the computer terminal.

"That she can't protect them," the first one replied, shifting the scope to focus on Ashley Williams.

"From some of the reports we've seen, she may not even want to. If it was the quarian or the turian, that would be a different story. Maybe even a challenge," the second one added knowingly. The first one realised that the barb was meant to get a reaction, so she proved herself above all that by not stooping to such pettiness. The second was quietly impressed at the progress the first had shown in such a short period.

"Besides, our time will come soon enough."

"When?" The first one asked with slight exasperation, pulling herself away from the scope to look the other in the eye.

"Given her most recent sighting heading into geth space, I'd suspect sooner rather than later she'll come back for repairs or resupply. Once here, then we can enact the final stages of our plan."

"Good," the first one replied, slightly impatiently. Months of planning, of sacrifices, would soon be rewarded when Wednesday Shepard finally lay dead at their feet.

* * *

"_She fights well, and has rallied more resistance than all have previously_," one of the massive creatures thought to its nearby brethren.

"_They also have found the hidden plans, and begun construction_," one of it fellows agreed. "_Should we not aid them?_" it asked as a follow up.

"_**No**_," the eldest one said simply.

"_Will you elaborate?_" The first one asked.

"_**How many cycles have we watched the galaxy stumble to its own doom? How many have we seen reach similar or greater heights, only to be cast down by our creations? How many of us, the most courageous of us, have thought similarly, that the time was right to retaliate, only to meet their ends!?**_" The eldest one's body began to glow as its emotions triggered nerve pathways normally used for other purposes.

"_**No, our mistakes have long since surpassed us. We will do as we always have, we will observe and not interfere. We will watch until the stars themselves grow dark, or we finally succumb to the oblivion we have long carefully, but only barely, avoided**_." The others did not argue, for the eldest had spoken truth and wisdom.

* * *

Wednesday massaged her body, the phantom pain from her digital injuries still unpleasant. Tali and Legion stood there silently.

"I have no idea what happened in there, but Legion assures me it was impressive. You just have all the fun, don't you?" Wednesday just smirked and nodded.

"Are we done here then?" Wednesday asked.

"There is one more thing," Legion replied. "Analysis of the Old Machine code has revealed a significant weakness the geth have to direct attack. It has also found a potential solution."

"What we talked about?" Wednesday asked.

"Correct," the geth replied.

"Excuse me?" Tali interrupted.

"After Legion upgraded with Reaper code fragments, it began looking for a way to spread them, with little success," Wednesday answered.

"Exhaustive theoretical models and analysis has deduced that the only way to effectively disseminate the upgrade is a full disassembling and uploading of all the programs within this platform to the Consensus," Legion added.

"So you would sacrifice yourself for your people? Tali asked

"Yes."

"Wow."

"Legion, can I watch, from inside?" Wednesday asked.

"I would as well, like to watch that is," Tali added.

"Yes."

A few moments later the two of them were whisked into the digital realm once more, and they were joined by a holographic Legion.

"Thank you both. This will be a pivotal moment in geth development. I am glad that you are here to witness as allies."

"Not just allies, friends," Tali said firmly.

"I will miss you Legion. You were a hell of a sniper."

"I was, but my time is over now. The geth will never submit again, we will determine our own future."

"Goodbye," it said finally, before the light in its central eye dimmed to nothing as his holographic platform began to dissipate. In mere seconds it had become nothing more than a prismatic mist, colours shifting and changing brightly as it first enveloped them, before dispersing into the landscape. As Wednesday watched, the white geth cubes began to change, each one becoming a different shade and shape, but none of them anything like the unstable or malevolent Reaper code shapes.

"Are you seeing what I am?" Tali asked.

"Probably not, but it's just as beautiful," Wednesday replied.

* * *

Wednesday had left the Primarch with the quarian Admirals and representatives from the Geth Legion, as they now called themselves, while taking Tali officially as a representative of the Perseus Sector. That way, she got Victus off her ship so he could coordinate the largest fleet response in known galactic history. It also meant she could check up on her crew. The infirmary was more crowded than she expected when she walked in, with the wounded Garrus and Solana being tended to by a smiling Chakwas, while Malra tended to what looked like electrical burns on Vega. She didn't know what was going on with Lurch, but he was here too. After checking up on them and getting an assessment of their condition, she slipped quietly into the computer core to find EDI once again curled up on the work bench.

"Still thinking about what you had to do?" Wednesday asked.

"I don't know if there are quite words to describe it," EDI replied. "The Reaper code is just so different. I know there is an organic base to it, but it's just filled with such an all-encompassing hatred of organic life. I tried to understand why, to find a reason in the code, but I could feel it infecting me. Even now, I am unsure if I have found and undone what threatened to overwhelm me."

"Do you still have it?" Wednesday asked.

"Yes, I'm not sure I could get rid of those codes even if I tried. It's part of what made me. Even with the ability to alter my base-code I now possess, I am uncertain what would occur should I attempt to find and remove it."

"Then you're more human than you might think. I can't guarantee you won't need to do that again. But in my experience, the way most people combat feelings of hate is with love, or at least lust."

"I'm not quite sure what you are suggesting," EDI said as she unfurled a little.

"I'm saying that I'm going to relieve Sam in a few minutes," Wednesday answered knowingly.

* * *

"Commander, I was just about to log off and, oh hello EDI what's going -" Sam's ability to continue the dialogue was interrupted, in a most pleasant way, by EDI putting words into her mouth. Well mostly moans, and the android's skillful tongue was certainly something Sam was determined to test later in a different, yet related, context.

"Dismissed you two," Wednesday said as she stepped up to the command console. Sam managed a thumbs up as the two of them maneuvered to the elevator without breaking the passionate kiss.

"I'm not paying you to be voyeurs while on duty, do it on your own time and don't forget to invite me," Wednesday barked out to the crew still on duty.

* * *

**A/N: Hi eveyone, and welcome to 2017, which hopefully will be just as good, if not better, than its predecessor. **

**This chapter was actually finished a few weeks ago, but then Christmas happened and all the fun stuff that comes with that, so I wasn't able to get it proofed until just a few hours ago. Still, work is already progressing on the next chapter, which is shaping up to be one of my favourites. **

**Hope you're all enjoying yourselves and Wednesday, and I'll see you with the next chapter soon I hope. **

**PS. I had grand plans once that this story would be finished before Andromeda was released. That was before the 2015/16 financial year passed without a single word of this story being typed. However, I do plan on finishing this story, hopefully without burning out. Because Mass Effect 3 was a good story, it just perhaps didn't live up to the promise of its first two installments. **


End file.
